Who is daniel finkelstein

So, I am, for example, a supporter of the Monarchy. I think lots of political issues are like that. Indeed, millions of intelligent people do take it. Was I embarrassed by it? I think there are serious problems with the composition of the House of Lords, only tempered by the fact that every time someone proposes an alternative, it sounds to me as though it will be worse.

Those thoughts did go through my head as I thought about whether to accept it, but I also thought: Stop being such a pompous idiot!

Yeah, I do, actually. I do think that. I think that democracies are quite susceptible to capture by activists who are willing to spend almost infinite amounts of time to ensure that their own interests are confused with the interests of everyone else.

I said in [my introduction to] the book that I put in [some] columns even though some of the things in [them] made me wince, and that was one. Others involved in the crisis, on both sides, were equally pessimistic. I must admit, the probabilities of nuclear war worry me a lot. Nothing has a zero probability, and when you multiply even the tiniest probability of nuclear war and I think the probability must be greater than tiny against the human cost of it, the burden becomes really, you know, overwhelming.

But these things are very, very difficult. Is it possible for a party in power to govern in the interests of everyone, or will it always tend to promote the interests of the coalition that elected it? Any political party definitely caters — you know, does consider the political coalition that elected it, or that it will need in order to be re-elected, even though it may try to show a broader understanding of the national interest.

That is natural and unavoidable. Well, a perfect example is pensions policy. The case seems to me clear. The difficulty is that in the long run I think the triple lock will be a serious problem for the Conservative Party, because it will become the party for older people, and younger people will vote against it in increasing numbers. Were there tensions for you when you were writing political commentary for the Times but were also a close friend of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne?

But there are some values that have become the habit of the British, [such as] a continuous, stable, liberal-democratic tradition which moves towards the light. As a result of that, I would say, there has emerged a tradition of toleration, of acceptance of the eccentricity of others and of social stability, all of which allow us to become better people all the time without necessarily having been perfected.

What do you see as our distinctive vices or weaknesses? I think we do have a longstanding problem of productivity. Its record has been an almost unbroken one everywhere of rising living standards for everybody, scientific progress, greater tolerance, much greater freedom. That record has been the most extraordinary thing in human history, and you have to have a pretty strong reason to want to move away from it.

We have a progressive tax system, we have very large public spending already. Perhaps we can make you an annual feature! His insight and unique perspective on the current political landscape was thought-provoking and entertaining. His recovery from a stumble on the way to the lectern was brilliant - Epic! His unique take on modern politics was the real highlight of the conference.

Champions does not speak for or claim to represent all the individuals listed on this website as the exclusive booking agent or agency unless specifically stated. Acts listed on this site are for informational purposes only. Responsive Menu. Find a speaker. Find a Speaker. Business Management. Change Management. Female Inspiration. Mental Resilience. Peak Performance. View All. Horse Racing. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Keynote Speakers - Categories.

Keynote Speakers - Topics. Contact us. My Shortlist. Keynote Speakers - Categories Find a speaker on current global trends. Keynote Speakers - Topics Find a speaker on a specific topic. Artificial Intelligence. Behavioural Economics. Big Data. Customer Experience. Cyber Security. Digital Trends. A member of the House of Lords since , Daniel has advised many prominent Conservative party ministers.

Erudite and interesting, he is a brilliant speaker for corporate, public affairs and charity events. Award-winning journalist, associate editor and weekly political columnist for the Times newspaper, Baron Daniel Finkelstein OBE is a prolific force in print and politics, and a sought-after speaker at corporate, public affairs and charity events. Funny and informative, both before and after dinner, he tells stories from his time in politics and newspapers, bringing the latest news from the political frontline and dazzling his audiences with witty examples of how politicians influence people.

Showing an early and active interest in politics, he joined the National Committee of the Social Democratic Party from — , and moved to the Conservative Party from after the dissolution of SDP. Here, he quickly rose through the ranks.

He began the first of the three main jobs of his career in , becoming the Director of the Social Market Foundation, a social policy think tank which did pioneering work in public service reform.