John Campbell

John Campbell OBE is the author of Haldane: The Forgotten Statesman who Shaped Modern Britain and runs the website haldane.com.

Gavin Mortimer, John Campbell, Mark Piesing & Daisy Dunn

From our UK edition

32 min listen

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Gavin Mortimer reports on the battle between the EU and farmers; John Campbell explains Lord Haldane’s significance to politics today; reviewing Polar War by Kenneth R, Rosen, Mark Piesing ponders who will rule the arctic; and, Daisy Dunn celebrates the history of poems on the underground. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Gavin Mortimer, John Campbell, Mark Piesing & Daisy Dunn

The five Haldanean principles that could reshape Britain

From our UK edition

If Reform get into government, there is one man they seem likely to turn to for guidance. He is an obscure figure, unknown to many, yet has acolytes across the political spectrum – from Dominic Cummings to Gordon Brown. His name is Richard Burdon Haldane and he died almost a century ago. It was recently reported in this magazine that Danny Kruger had been seen carrying ‘a well-thumbed copy’ of the most recent biography of Haldane. I wrote that book. In it, I describe how Haldane reshaped Britain in the early 20th century – and how, should others choose to follow his example, he might help to transform it again today.