Centre Think Tank in conversation

Baroness Pitkeathley interview

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Baroness Pitkeathley OBE. She is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and a former CEO of Carers UK. Baroness Pitkeathley is also the Co-chair of the Carers All-Party Parliamentary Group. Their discussion covered the social care system and supporting unpaid carers. They also spoke about whether we need to make social care free at the point of use, the new review of the social care system, and how we can expand the social care workforce. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Linsey Farnsworth MP interview

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Linsey Farnsworth, the Member of Parliament for Amber Valley since 2024, who spent over twenty years working at the Crown Prosecution Service. She also serves as the National Mission Champion for Safer Streets and is a member of the Justice Select Committee. Their discussion covered the early release scheme, the lessons we can learn from the Norwegian prison system, and how to expand education within prisons. They also spoke about how we can tackle drug use outside of prison using methods such as diversion, how new prisons can be built to cope with an expanding prison population, and where rehabilitation can be used within prisons. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Dr Allison Gardner MP interview

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Dr Allison Gardner MP, who has been the Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South since 2024. She is also a Senior Scientific Adviser for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Artificial Intelligence and a lecturer at Keele University, where she teaches data science. Their discussion covered the future of health care, social care, and the role of technology in the NHS. They also spoke about the independent commission to reform our social care system, whether social care should be free at the point of use, the use of Artificial Intelligence within the NHS, expanding prevention throughout life, and spending on the NHS. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Michael Ignatieff interview

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Michael Ignatieff, who is the former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and a professor of history at Central European University. Their discussion covered his leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada as a centrist and moderate, the nature of centrism, and the challenges facing modern liberal democracy. They looked at the future of centrist and liberal politics in Canada, the UK, and across liberal democracies. Michael reflected on his 2011 election defeat, the pressures of campaigning from the political centre, and the difficulty of campaigning in an election with two strong contenders on the left and right of politics. The conversation also looked at how figures such as Rob Jetten and Mark Carney have been successful in creating bold proposals whilst standing on a centrist platform. They also look at the deeper structural problems affecting liberal democracy, including the rise of populism and the failures of over-centralisation. Michael argues that centrists must confront bureaucratic inefficiencies and address legitimacy deficits caused by rapid social change. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Sonia Kumar MP interview

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Sonia Kumar, the Member of Parliament for Dudley since 2024, who previously worked within the NHS. Their discussion covered how we can fix the NHS, moving the NHS further towards the use of AI and digital, the vital role of physiotherapists in tackling musculoskeletal (MSK) issues, and the need for increased investment in this area, the assisted dying bill, protecting our economy, and supporting small businesses. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.