Time: 12:00 - 2:00pm
In this online seminar, our expert panel explored the resilience of Britain’s democracy and how it can be protected against corrupt influences.
The case for reforming public appointments was assessed, as well as access to ministers, and the ‘revolving door’ between government and the private sector.
Panel:
Robert Barrington - Professor of Anti-Corruption Practice at the Centre for the Study of Corruption at the University of Sussex. He was formerly the UK head of Transparency International, the world’s leading anti-corruption NGO. In that role, he campaigned to secure the Bribery Act, a national Anti-Corruption Strategy and Unexplained Wealth Orders. His publications include ‘How to Bribe’, ‘Countering Small Bribes’ and ‘Corruption in the UK’.
Peter Geoghegan - writer, broadcaster, and investigations editor at the award-winning news website OpenDemocracy. His most recent book, Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics, explores the role of dark money and digital disinformation in undermining democratic politics. It shows how electoral laws can be manipulated, how lobbying works and how secretive think-tanks are able to influence policymaking. His investigative journalism on the politics of dark money was nominated in 2019 for a British Journalism Award and the Paul Foot Award.
Margaret Hodge - Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from 2010 to 2015. During that period, the PAC launched major investigations into tax avoidance by international companies, the relationship between Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and private accountancy firms, and waste in public procurement. Peter Hennessy called the PAC “the queen of the select committees”, exerting “a cleansing effect in all government departments”. She has been a Labour MP since 1994 and has served in a number of roles in government.
Chair:
Robert Saunders - Reader in Modern British History at Queen Mary University of London and Co-Director of the Mile End Institute. His books include Democracy and the Vote in British Politics, 1848-1867 and Yes to Europe! The 1975 Referendum and Seventies Britain, and he is currently researching a new history of democracy in Britain.
This webinar formed part of the Mile End Institute’s British Democracy Series.
A recording of this event is available on our YouTube Channel.