While the rest of the world does proper jobs, thinktanks across London while away the day in seminars, roundtables or, if you’re the Adam Smith Institute, ‘power lunches’.
The ASI has scheduled these lunches with an variety of high-profile figures, including OFCOM chairman David Currie, Lord Razzall and, perhaps surprisingly, Labour MP Phil Woolas – demonstrating that thinktanks on the left aren’t the only ones to open up their doors to those from the other end of the political spectrum.
It is not yet clear if this trend for power meetings will catch on in wonk world, but watch this space for news of Civitas ‘power walking’ events where you can discuss government mismanagement and legislative creep while making brisk strides round St James’ park.
Meanwhile, no one less powerful than the prime minister was in attendance at Policy Network’s recent two-day symposium on the future of progressive governance, held jointly with German thinktank Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and supported by Progress and the Fabians.
The PM appeared relaxed as he took part in an interview with political philosopher David Marquand in what all agreed was a pretty highbrow affair. In a wide-ranging discussion about the opportunities presented by globalisation, Mr Brown made references to literature, poetry and political philosophy, as well as telling some witty anecdotes.
The assembled press pack remained largely mute during the discussion but subsequent coverage suggested the PM had impressed. ‘In this conversational format, Mr Brown came over more engagingly than he does when he is thumping out a speech,’ said the Observer’s Andrew Rawnsley. ‘Perhaps it is because you can hear him think. He offered a persuasive narrative that Britain had to move beyond the “old” idea of the state offering only “the uniform provision of standard services”.’
It must all have been a welcome antidote to the ferocity of PMQs and the monthly press conference.
Another thinktank event that attracted a high level of media interest was the Fabian’s one-day housing conference, featuring Caroline Flint’s first major speech since taking over as housing minister.
While the media presence at such daytime events tends to be confined to a few trade journalists, the Fabian housing conference last month attracted unexpectedly large numbers of the fourth estate, eager to follow up on Flint’s comments that morning which posed potentially controversial questions about the link between council housing and worklessness.
As the likes of Sky News and the BBC scrambled for space inside the conference venue, the whole day was nearly thrown off course by an unexpected power cut, plunging the place into darkness. Fortunately, another conference room was located and delegates were ushered back into the light.
Not to be outdone for high-profile speeches, Demos last month played host to shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling who gave a speech warning of a ‘generation of young men…reaching adult life ill-equipped for it…lacking the right social skills’ and ‘lacking a sense of purpose and responsibility’. Well said, Mr Grayling. The shadow cabinet is a danger to us all.