Sheridan Westlake OBE

The US presidential/ UK PM debates have never taken place in the same week, let alone consecutive days. Setting aside which was the more entertaining (easily US) – a few thoughts on how the different broadcast formats affected the coverage and impacted the viewer: ⏳ Ground rules & visuals Contrasting with the BBC's looser approach, #CNN set explicit rules of engagement, everything from response times, microphone control and stage positioning. The split screen close-up camera effect was revealing – Biden pensive then growing in confidence and Trump looking increasingly needled as the debate progressed. If a similar technique was adopted for the UK debate, it wouldn't have benefited Starmer... 🔊 Moderation & questions Dana Bash and Jake Tapper led for CNN vs Mishal Husain alone for the #BBC. Two moderators enabled closer control and smoother transition through questions. Lack of audience in Atlanta meant a strangely sanitized atmosphere but removing audience reactions – along with the use of zoom-in – perhaps helps the viewer to focus more on the candidates and be less influenced by variables. The debate in Nottingham was less structured, giving both men – mainly Sunak – more chance to interrupt and go on the attack. There was also something very British about a willing audience stumbling through their questions amidst shouts of protest from outside! 🎯  Fact-checking Husain planted the flag early by highlighting BBC Verify and both candidates appealed to the service when disputed claims arose. She was also more assertive at clarifying statements and presenting official statistics especially during the immigration and fiscal debates. There was little pre-emptive or real time fact-checking in Atlanta, for which CNN are being heavily criticized. In the closing stages, the moderators struggled just to get the candidates – especially Trump - to engage with the question asked. Personal accusations, counter-claims and a ‘he started it’ line of attack increased as the debate wore on. As for the overall optics, Trump and Sunak appeared the more forceful and vigorous. Biden and Starmer will have to hope their more measured, statesmanlike performances are not overly perceived as tired or meek. #presidentialdebate #2024election

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It's a bit awkward, but I am finding it hard to lament the demise of the National Citizen Service. Has it made the country a better place? I've delayed posting this, because last week's news affects many people's jobs - and I have nothing but sympathy for people who try their hardest to support young people, day in day out, and now face a period of uncertainty. According to NCS - National Citizen Service Trust "As one of the most rigorously evaluated youth initiatives in the country, NCS has consistently been shown to have a positive impact on young people - who report improved wellbeing, greater optimism about the future, increased understanding of those who are different to them, and a greater commitment to get involved in social action and volunteering." As a country we've spent hundreds of millions of pounds on this - shouldn't we expect more? Shouldn't NCS have improved employment rates or reduced crime or something? Maybe the problem here is it's hard to really measure whether you've built "a more cohesive society"? As a sector we need to be super clear what outcomes we're working towards, how we're going to measure them, and whether we're achieving them. It's hard for me to be sad about NCS without knowing these things. I hope the "next big thing" is clearer.

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Across the ages (and the political aisle), politicians and philosophers from Burke to Locke have agreed on one thing: the importance of the family. Even in ancient Greece, the household - or "oikos" - was considered the fundamental social, political, and economic unit of the Greek polis. In recent times, however, the family has become a divisive topic with battle lines sharply drawn between the political left and right. This has made getting to the root of problems such as crime - and youth crime in particular - difficult to do. It is often thought that enforcement-centric responses such as additional funding for police officers, special investigators, and criminal prosecutors are the best way to fight crime. But, as I argue in my latest piece for CapX, by the time a newly hired police officer or criminal prosecutor is on the scene (or case), the crime has already been committed. To truly solve the problem, we must get tough - not on crime, but the causes of crime. Chief among them: family breakdown.

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I’ve written this post a couple of times over … and still struggling to get the right words, but there are a couple of thoughts I’d like to share. 1. Literally thousands of young people have experienced youth social action, community service and built life skills they’ll not get elsewhere BECAUSE of NCS. Their lives have been changed BECAUSE of the relationships they’ve built and the impact they made over those 2 or 4 weeks they spent together over the summer months. 2. So many of those who were impacted by NCS, went on to become Fixers young people who created their own social action campaigns that gave them the opportunity to create change in their own communities. If they didn’t directly get involved, they’ll have pitched their ideas to our YPC’s, taken part in workshops, focus groups or have seen our campaigns at film or media launches. 3. So many of the staff I’ve met, and worked with over the years, have been some of the biggest cheerleaders for those young people they’re empowering and directly supporting. They’ve championed youth voice, created opportunities, and spearheaded campaigns that will go down in history. Just like the YHA’s “Do it for Real” all those years ago, and Fixers, NCS will now have a huge legacy that will become an archive of the amazing work that young people Can and Do achieve when given the opportunity to have a voice. While this government finds ways to cut services and “fill the hole” it’s once again young people who will loose out. It’s not enough to cut council budgets, where youth services are diminished, it’s now the large scale initiatives that are few and far between that take the hit. It’s a sad day. Thoughts are genuinely with all those who’ll be affected by this decision.

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Whatever your views on the timing of the Prime Minister’s decision to call a UK General Election on 4th July, we are now in the throes of a campaign where many expect a Conservative defeat at the polls and the first Labour administration for 14 years. Do you feel prepared to navigate the campaign period ahead and make the most of a new Parliament and Government? Please read our briefing attached which outlines four essential things businesses and organisations need to consider over the coming weeks and a timeline of key developments.

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Really pleased to be part of the team at Tax Justice UK, working with Patriotic Millionaires UK to launch this new paper that details just 10 tax reforms to raise up to £60bn a year. This is a vitally important conversation to have, while politicians kick the can down the road and ignore the reality of the situation. Right now, whoever get the keys to 10 Downing Street after 4 July will face a choice. They either enact another round of brutal austerity on already decimated public services OR they invest more to breathe life back into the NHS, improve access to housing and justice and give local authorities the money they need. Investment can be paid for by taxing the super-rich, and the wealthiest companies a bit more, for the benefit of everyone. The tax reforms set out are sensible options to raise revenue, and include: - A 2% wealth tax on assets > £10m from just richest 20k in UK - Equalisation of capital gains tax with income tax - Application of national insurance to investment income - Introduction of a 4% tax on share buybacks We need a grown-up conversation about tax and spending, rather than scaremongering and political soundbytes. Please share if you agree. Read the full report here 🔽 https://lnkd.in/e95NRF_f

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Great to be quoted, for the first time, in this New York Times Piece on the recent role of disinformation in civil unrest across the UK. As I say here, a key challenge around combating disinformation lies in establishing intent. To regulate or moderate you have to know: Is this narrative circulating organically or not? That’s what our AI and technology does. We look for behaviours that show someone is actively trying to manipulate public opinion. Head over to logically.ai to see how it’s done. Https://https://lnkd.in/e6PBCBxr

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[Speaking in my personal capacity]: To say I was horrified to hear of the PM's intention to "make homelessness illegal" is a woeful understatement. Such a suggestion is entirely devoid of compassion and at best, abhorret.  To prosecute a human for being homeless is so counter-intuitive - ought the emphasis not be on measures to prevent the most vulnerable people ending up on the streets as a first measure? There are over a quarter of a million (documented) homeless people in the UK. Criminalising it is indicative of a failure of responsibility to take efforts to prevent it in the first place. No child is born wishing to become homeless. The factors underpinning how one ends up as such are so multifaceted (incl. but not limited to - abusive childhoods; lack of education; poor mental/health; trauma; domestic abuse etc...) - Homeless rates are indicative of how societies have failed their own people - a confronting truth. Shunning the most vulnerable people and criminalising their own lack of a roof over their head is not the solution.

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My piece in Left Foot Forward on LGR: “New unitaries with populations of around 350,000 and coherent economic geographies and travel to work areas are where we should be looking and that’s a view backed up by leaders and chief executives right across the sector. In Essex that would mean five new councils ready to deliver on the health, homes, journeys and jobs that communities and government alike need.” https://lnkd.in/ecrpY8gR

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My latest blog, ahead of the PM's big speech later this week: "We need a national rescue plan" Why are the government’s missions so vanilla? Why is the government being all doom and gloom? Why the unexpected tax hikes? These questions asked across the media suggest the government is struggling to connect. Keir Starmer knows this, which is why he is soon to launch his plan for government. But a list of targets won’t be enough. We need a plan based on an honest analysis of where we are at and a compelling vision of where we could get to. The government cannot skip these steps or look to past formulas from Blair, Thatcher or Attlee because the UK’s situation has fundamentally changed. We have declined and, therefore, none of the political stories from the 20th century will help. The UK is tired and old. Our population is increasingly tired an old, and our physical and social infrastructure is too. The UK is Woolworths before it went bust. People feel nostalgia towards it, but little else. We’ve got a large number of defunct assets but we can’t get rid of them or afford to renew them. Most dangerously, there is an inertia in our decision-making preventing us from facing up to reality. But what if we choose not to go bust? What if we choose to break free of our inertia and develop a plan for the future based on a realistic assessment of where we are at and where it could be possible to get to? Read on: https://lnkd.in/e6gRWq79

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Looking forward to chairing this session for PLMR Genesis colleagues next week, with an expert panel discussing what may happen in the polls coming July 4th & what the East of England needs from a new administration. Sign-up details below if you want to listen in! #politics #policy #publicaffairs #eastofengland

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Yesterday’s Radio 4 PM show (22.57 to 27:19) on the potential phase-out of motorcycles by 2040 has stirred debate, but it’s crucial to provide a nuanced perspective on the matter. Henry Cole of the ITV Motorbike Show raised some important points on the value of our sector, but I want to expand and clarify the depth and breadth of our contribution to the UK’s transport ecosystems, now and in the future. 🛣️ Pragmatic Solutions for a Diverse Sector: Speculation about what might be announced (decision not been made) aside, the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) advocates for pragmatic and proportionate dates that acknowledge our vehicles’ diversity. Different L-Category vehicles have distinct use cases, safety considerations, and fuel challenges. Large capacity leisure motorcycles, for instance, require tailored approaches for a smooth transition towards zero emissions. ⚠️ Safety Concerns and Misconceptions: While safety concerns are obviously valid, labelling motorcycles as “death traps” oversimplifies the issue. Statistically, motorcyclists are fully or partly to blame for less than 20% of accidents. Instead of demonising, we need policies that anticipate tomorrow’s traffic mix and leverage our sector’s safety record as motivation to optimise and liberate our vehicls as a sustainable mode of mobility. 🔇 Loud Pipes and Safety: We do not endorse the notion of “loud pipes save lives.” Safety innovations and infrastructure improvements are key to enhancing road safety for all users, without resorting to excessive noise. 🏍️🛵🚗 Innovation and Customer Engagement: While the joy of leisure riding is undeniable, engaging younger demographics requires innovative approaches. Today’s customers seek more than just freedom, noise, and vibrations. Manufacturers are already shifting focus towards tomorrow’s technology needs. MCIA is also addressing other barriers like licensing complexities and cost through initiatives like our “A Licence to Net Zero” campaign and bespoke consumer incentive proposals. 🌍 Sustainable Solutions: The potential of motorcycles and other powered three and light four wheeled vehicles extends beyond leisure riding. They play a crucial role in emissions reduction, congestion relief, social mobility and the gig economy. Our sector is providing solutions to today’s transportation challenges head-on. 🤝 Engagement and Advocacy: It was mentioned our lobby was too small. This is untrue. We maintain strong relationships with the Government and have put our vehicles on the Government’s map in a way that is affecting change for the first time in our sector’s history. As we move forward, ensuring the conversation around the future of mopeds, motorcycles and other powered light vehicles is comprehensive and inclusive, is essential. We’re on the agenda for the right reasons and we plan on staying there, with this Government and the next, whoever that might be. https://lnkd.in/gWMnFRXP

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https://lnkd.in/dpCExdCG There are still some important results to come from Thursday's local elections in England and Wales, not least the mayoral election in West Midlands where the Conservatives will be hoping to hold on as they did in Tees Valley. However, here is John Curtice's analysis based on where things stood when counting was suspended last night and it does indeed look grim for the Conservatives who have lost over half the council seats they held (and counting). The Beeb is reporting that there is no sign of a right-wing rebellion against Rishi Sunak yet; but, personally, I would not expect anyone to make a move before the West Midlands result is announced. If the Tories lose there and even more so if the loss of council seats crosses 500 an attempted ouster would come as no surprise even though the commentariat consensus (with which I agree) is that it would probably not succeed. What the threat might do, however, is push Mr Sunak into calling an early election - 20 percent probability only, according to the bookmakers (and, again, I agree) but one which cannot be dismissed.

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This feels like urgent, important work in the context of global changes afoot at the moment. When America's information ecosystem is all but lost, how can we protect and renew what is left of ours? We will be looking at 1, new threat research to understand the implications of the Trump administration here, 2, new regulation, 3, new ways to safeguard traditional news, 4, government communications, and 5, citizen empowerment. So we can't do it alone and want to involve partners - see how to get involved below. Brilliant work by Elizabeth Seger Hannah Perry and team, with support from William Perrin OBE FRSA

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🎤 John Healey oral evidence to the HCDC, 21/11/24, my key learnings 📝 Just a day after his major statement to the full House, on "Defence Programmes Developments" (view https://lnkd.in/ep2dNx3z), Defence Secretary John Healey had his first formal encounter with the new House of Commons Defence Committee last week. These sessions almost invariably give rise to a whole arsenal of key and useful comments. My own shorthand takeaways follow, quotes are Mr Healey's own: 📌 Q2: .."The Prime Minister...has said, “Strategic defence review first; 2.5% to follow...the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has made it clear ..that we should expect that path to be set out in the spring".  📌 QQ6-8: trade-offs in the SDR; prompted by a specific question on the future of the carriers, Healey said "We have some really important programmes and capabilities across the board...However, I absolutely do not want you to take that as a signal that any part of our programmes and capabilities—to be clear—are in jeopardy. This is an ongoing question, and they are under scrutiny but not in jeopardy.." 📌 Q9: SDR to report in "the spring"; Carrier Strike Group's 2025 Indo-Pacific deployment still seen as significant. 📌 Q14: NATO First remains the key test for the SDR but (Q15) but there are other lenses: Global; Homeland Defence; and the Grey Zone (including critical national infrastructure) 📌 Q17: the results of that NATO test to be shared with the Committee on a classified basis, to include (Q19) the Divisional commitment to NATO's eastern flank. 📌 Q41: a more "Buy British" approach to defence procurement confirmed, with Healey arguing that "If we want to leverage higher levels of private investment into defence.. we have to be willing to have a long-term relationship...a new partnership between Government, business, the workforce and trade unions... Uniquely for the private sector, the level of unionisation in defence is 38%, so there is a great deal of potential.." and "making more use of smaller and medium-sized companies, which are often much more flexible and innovative".. 📌 Q43: wrt long term demand signals, MBDA now have £6n promised over a decade, for Aster and Storm Shadow missiles amongst others; Q44: munitions commercial strategy to be "always on" 📌 Q58 (GCAP): "We are committed to it. It is a really important programme". 📌 Q60: re defence spending in the light of Trump's election: "We need to wait to see what the policy, military and strategic definition of the new President and Administration will be, and we may get a limited idea of that, certainly before 20 January". 👉 view https://lnkd.in/eqgbqRrY for the full transcript of Mr Healey's remarks (and those of his senior minders), and all the matters the Committee raised. Interestingly, no one challenged the content of the previous day’s statement. #MOD #StrategicDefenceReview #HCDC #defenceindustrialstrategy

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Curious about how Donald Trump's return to the White House might impact the dynamics of the UK's "Special Relationship" with the US? Read my thoughts for FTI Consulting on the potential challenges and opportunities for the future of the partnership here:

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The Boundary Commission for Wales’ review presents a critical opportunity to reshape our political landscape in a way that genuinely reflects and serves BAME communities. This is more than a technical exercise—it’s about ensuring that every voice in our diverse society has the power to influence policies that affect our economy and well-being. Politicians and media must see this as a chance to promote real equity, where fair representation leads to tangible improvements in the lives of minority communities across Wales. #BAME #RepresentationMatters #EquityInAction #BoundaryReview https://lnkd.in/ek4cm32x

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