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ThinkTent 2023 Schedule

Sunday, 1st October | 3.15pm – 4.15pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs and the TaxPayers’ Alliance
How to drive economic growth
With the British economy stagnating, solving the economic growth puzzle is vital to the UK’s short and long-term prosperity.

Speakers:

Mark Littlewood, Director general, Institute of Economic Affairs (Chair)

Kate Andrews, Economics editor, The Spectator

Aria Babu, Policy fellow, the Startup Coalition

Ted R. Bromund, Senior research fellow, Heritage Foundation

Matthew Elliott, President, Jobs Foundation

Liam Halligan, Economics editor, GB News

Sunday, 1st October | 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs & the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Is the UK a safe space for free speech?
With both legal and cultural censorship engulfing debate in the United Kingdom, can we still say that Britain is a safe space for free speech?

Speakers:

Elliot Keck, Head of campaigns, Taxpayers’ Alliance (Chair)

Marc Glendening, Head of cultural affairs, Institute of Economic Affairs

Matthew Goodwin, Professor of politics, University of Kent

Graham Linehan, Comedy writer and director

Tim Stanley, Journalist and historian, Daily Telegraph

Monday, 2nd October | 10.15am – 11.15am
Hosted by the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Can we ever really take back control?
Just how much can an elected government do? After winning an 80-seat majority in 2019, the Conservatives have arguably had their hands tied – at home and abroad. How much do we really know about the web of domestic and global quangos that control our lives, and how much taxpayers’ money is being spent on them? Can Whitehall ever be reformed?

Speakers:

John O’Connell, Chief executive, TaxPayers’ Alliance (Chair)

Bim Afolami MP

Miriam Cates MP

Chris Snowdon, Head of lifestyle economics, Institute of Economic Affairs

Danny Kruger MP



Monday, 2nd October | 11.30am – 12.30pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs
Is Intergenerational Inequality Holding Back Britain?
Home ownership is increasingly out of reach for young people, while they continue to foot the bill for policies like the triple lock on pensions. Is intergenerational inequality one of the biggest drags on Britain’s economy?

Speakers:

Reem Ibrahim, Communications Officer, Institute of Economic Affairs (Chair)

Damian Green MP

Alex Morton, Director of Strategy, Institute of Economic Affairs

Samuel Kasumu, Social entrepreneur and former special advisor to Boris Johnson

Emma Revell, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Centre for Policy Studies

Lee Rowley MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Local Government and Building Safety

Monday, 2nd October | 12.45pm – 1.45pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs and the TaxPayers’ Alliance
The future of conservatism: In conversation with… Lord Frost
We look forward to welcoming Lord Frost for this year’s In Conversation With… Mark Littlewood will host the conversation alongside Taxpayers’ Alliance Chief Executive John O’Connell.

Speakers:

Mark Littlewood, Director general, Institute of Economic Affairs

John O’Connell, Chief executive, Taxpayers’ Alliance

Lord Frost

Monday, 2nd October | 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs
The Future of Rail
As strikes are set to disrupt Conservative Party Conference this year, how can we revive Britain’s flagging railways?

Speakers:

Mark Littlewood, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs (Chair)

Mary Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Porterbrook

Chris Loder MP

Mark Phillips, Chief Executive, Rail Safety and Standards Board

Greg Smith MP

Monday, 2nd October | 3.15pm – 4.15pm
Hosted by Forest
Smoking Gun: The Infantilisation of Britain 
The Conservative government says it’s committed to making England ‘smoke free’ by 2030. We are also told that tackling smoking (and vaping) will be a priority for the next Labour government. Is the ongoing war on tobacco justified, or is this a classic case of government overreach, with adults being treated like ignorant and unruly children?

Speakers:

Simon Clark, Director, Forest (Chair)

Reem Ibrahim, Communications officer, Institute of Economic Affairs

Mark Oates, Director, We Vape

Christopher Snowdon, Head of lifestyle economics, Institute of Economic Affairs

Monday, 2nd October | 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs
NHS Crisis: How can we improve Britain’s health service? 
The UK’s healthcare outcomes have long lagged behind our European counterparts. What is the solution to Britain’s healthcare crisis?

Speakers:

Matthew Lesh, Director of Public Policy and Communications, Institute of Economic Affairs (Chair)

Toby Brown, Senior Policy Lead, King’s Fund

Dr Luke Evans MP

Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP, Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care

Dr Kristian Niemietz, Head of Political Economy, Institute of Economic Affairs

Monday, 2nd October | 5.45pm – 6.45pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs & the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Battle of the think tanks: Should we reduce immigration?
Day two of ThinkTent 2023 concludes with a battle of the think tanks, where free market policy wonks will go head-to-head on the future of immigration policy.

Speakers:

Reem Ibrahim, Communications officer, Institute of Economic Affairs (Chair)

Conor Holohan, Media campaign manager, TaxPayers’ Alliance

Matthew Lesh, Director of public policy and communications, Institute of Economic Affairs

Maxwell Marlow, Director of research, Adam Smith Institute

Karl Williams, Deputy research director, Centre for Policy Studies

Tuesday, 3rd October | 09.00am – 10.00am
Hosted by the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Reckless or revolutionary: Experimentation in local government
As council budgets become increasingly stretched, more and more local authorities are looking at new ways to raise funds to fund services and limit the need for council tax rises. But as more and more experiment, more and more are running into trouble. Whether it’s South Cambridgeshire’s failing four-day week trial or Woking’s spectacular bankruptcy, there are serious questions about whether such experimentation should be considered genuinely radical, or simply reckless.

Speakers:

Elliot Keck, Head of campaigns, TaxPayers’ Alliance (Chair)

Martin Beckford, Policy editor, Daily Mail

Cllr Joanne Laban, Councillor, Enfield council

Lee Rowley MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Local Government and Building Safety

Cllr Andrew Sheldon, Councillor, Essex county council

Cllr Heather Williams, Leader of the opposition, South Cambridgeshire district council

Tuesday, 3rd October | 10.15am – 11.15am
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs
Nanny State v. Consumer Choice
As paternalism continues to subsume personal choice, is it time to roll back the frontiers of the nanny state?

Speakers:

Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics, Institute of Economic Affairs (Chair)

Philip Davies MP

Annabel Denham, Deputy Comment Editor, The Daily Telegraph

Dr Khurram Jowiya, Fiscal and Regulatory Affairs Manager, JTI UK

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive, British Beer and Pub Association

Tuesday, 3rd October | 11.30am – 12.30pm
Hosted by the TaxPayers’ Alliance and the Coalition for Global Prosperity
The great aid debate: Should charity start at home?

Speakers:

John O’Connell, Chief executive, TaxPayers’ Alliance (Chair)

Latika Bourke, Journalist, Sydney Morning Herald

Emily Carver, Presenter, GB News

Ryan Henson, Chief executive officer, Coalition for Global Prosperity

Tom Hunt MP

Tuesday, 3rd October | 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Hosted by the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Blue with envy: Have the Tories turned their backs on success?
With a 70 year high tax burden and sluggish growth, have the Tories turned their backs on wealth creation in favour of state intervention and handouts? Are Brits ashamed of success? Why is profit a dirty word? Should we introduce wealth taxes, or should hard work and success be celebrated?

Speakers:

John O’Connell, Chief executive, TaxPayers’ Alliance (Chair)

Paul Barnes, Chief executive officer, Association for International Retail

Emily Fielder, Director of communications, Adam Smith Institute

Lance Forman, Owner, H. Forman & Son

Dr Azeem Ibrahim, Research professor, US Army War College

Ranil Jayawardena MP

Tuesday, 3rd October | 3.15pm – 4.15pm
Hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs
Is a Whitehall Blob Thwarting Reform?
As paternalism continues to subsume personal choice, is it time to roll back the frontiers of the nanny state?

Speakers:

Sam Collins, Head, Free Market Forum (Chair)

Ranil Jayawardena MP

Alex Morton, Director of Strategy, Institute of Economic Affairs

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg MP

Greg Smith MP, Chair, Free Market Forum

Tuesday, 3rd October | 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Hosted by the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Should the Conservatives show spending restraint with an election looming?
Conventional wisdom has it that reducing public spending is unpopular. But are there lessons from the 2015 election victory? Is polling really in favour of more spending on almost everything? Does ‘the size of the state’ mean anything to voters? How can the government get public spending under control to leave the private sector breathing room?

Speakers:

John O’Connell, Chief executive, TaxPayers’ Alliance (Chair)

Alys Denby, Editor, CapX

John Glen MP, Chief secretary to the treasury

Ben Hopkinson, Policy researcher, Britain Remade

Matthew Lynn, Financial columnist, Daily Telegraph