Across Britain, Australia and like-minded nations, the centre-right of politics is in a state of flux. Thought leaders are at odds over how to deal with a societal shift towards big government and reliance on the state, epitomised by the uniformly illiberal responses to the pandemic – which were often implemented by supposedly centre-right governments. Likewise, there is much debate over the necessity and methodology of fighting the culture wars; and how to stand up for principles of equality and free speech now under direct assault. One thing seems certain: that one epoch has ended, and out of the current state of confusion, a new one will rise. Joining us to unpack these issues is The Spectator UK editor and respected conservative chronicler Fraser Nelson.

Want more to ponder? Watch Lord Jonathan Sumption’s Menzies Oration from 2022.

Fraser Nelson is editor of The Spectator UK. He also writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph and sits on the board of two think tanks: the Centre for Policy Studies and the Centre for Social Justice. He has turned The Spectator into the fastest-growing current affairs magazine in Europe, launching an Australian edition and doubling its subscriptions in a market that fell by two-thirds. Nelson has won numerous awards and is the only UK journalist to have simultaneously held the top industry awards for editing and political writing. His last was in 2021 from the British Magazine Society of Editors which named him Editor of the Year in a current title.