History & Policy

Workers in the Boardroom: worker directors and lessons from history

10 December 2016 - 11:00 am - 13:00 pm

Lecture Theatre S-1.04, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

"The people who run big businesses are supposed to be accountable to outsiders, to non-executive directors, who are supposed to ask the difficult questions, think about the long-term and defend the interests of shareholders. In practice, they are drawn from the same, narrow social and professional circles as the executive team and – as we have seen time and time again – the scrutiny they provide is just not good enough. So if I’m Prime Minister, we’re going to change that system – and we’re going to have not just consumers represented on company boards, but employees as well."

These were Theresa May's words as she launched her bid for leadership of the Conservative Party on 11 July 2016. At the time her speech was thought to mark a departure from traditional Tory themes - but what is the history of the idea of the worker on the board, what might May have really meant by her words and how can trade unions and political parties respond? History & Policy’s Trade Union Forum have convened an expert panel of historians and practitioners who will discuss these questions from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

Workers in the Boardroom: worker directors and lessons from history

10 December 2016 - 11:00 am - 13:00 pm

Lecture Theatre S-1.04, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

"The people who run big businesses are supposed to be accountable to outsiders, to non-executive directors, who are supposed to ask the difficult questions, think about the long-term and defend the interests of shareholders. In practice, they are drawn from the same, narrow social and professional circles as the executive team and – as we have seen time and time again – the scrutiny they provide is just not good enough. So if I’m Prime Minister, we’re going to change that system – and we’re going to have not just consumers represented on company boards, but employees as well."

These were Theresa May's words as she launched her bid for leadership of the Conservative Party on 11 July 2016. At the time her speech was thought to mark a departure from traditional Tory themes - but what is the history of the idea of the worker on the board, what might May have really meant by her words and how can trade unions and political parties respond? History & Policy’s Trade Union Forum have convened an expert panel of historians and practitioners who will discuss these questions from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

Workers in the Boardroom: worker directors and lessons from history

10 December 2016 - 11:00 am - 13:00 pm

Lecture Theatre S-1.04, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

"The people who run big businesses are supposed to be accountable to outsiders, to non-executive directors, who are supposed to ask the difficult questions, think about the long-term and defend the interests of shareholders. In practice, they are drawn from the same, narrow social and professional circles as the executive team and – as we have seen time and time again – the scrutiny they provide is just not good enough. So if I’m Prime Minister, we’re going to change that system – and we’re going to have not just consumers represented on company boards, but employees as well."

These were Theresa May's words as she launched her bid for leadership of the Conservative Party on 11 July 2016. At the time her speech was thought to mark a departure from traditional Tory themes - but what is the history of the idea of the worker on the board, what might May have really meant by her words and how can trade unions and political parties respond? History & Policy’s Trade Union Forum have convened an expert panel of historians and practitioners who will discuss these questions from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

History and the Internet

The Internet is a phenomenon studied from a wide variety of academic disciplinary perspectives, from those of sociology, to political science, to psychology, to philosophy. But there is scope for a more thorough application of historical knowledge in this area. This event will seek to provide an historical perspective in order better to appreciate the significance and implications of the Internet.

A mixture of academic historians and practitioners from institutions such as Parliament and The National Archives will take part.

Subjects considered will include:

The impact of earlier communications technologies, in particular the printing press;

1 December 2016 - 09:00 am - 13:00 pm

Council Room, King's College London

History and the Internet

The Internet is a phenomenon studied from a wide variety of academic disciplinary perspectives, from those of sociology, to political science, to psychology, to philosophy. But there is scope for a more thorough application of historical knowledge in this area. This event will seek to provide an historical perspective in order better to appreciate the significance and implications of the Internet.

A mixture of academic historians and practitioners from institutions such as Parliament and The National Archives will take part.

Subjects considered will include:

The impact of earlier communications technologies, in particular the printing press;

1 December 2016 - 09:00 am - 13:00 pm

Council Room, King's College London

History and the Internet

The Internet is a phenomenon studied from a wide variety of academic disciplinary perspectives, from those of sociology, to political science, to psychology, to philosophy. But there is scope for a more thorough application of historical knowledge in this area. This event will seek to provide an historical perspective in order better to appreciate the significance and implications of the Internet.

A mixture of academic historians and practitioners from institutions such as Parliament and The National Archives will take part.

Subjects considered will include:

The impact of earlier communications technologies, in particular the printing press;

1 December 2016 - 09:00 am - 13:00 pm

Council Room, King's College London

History and the Internet

The Internet is a phenomenon studied from a wide variety of academic disciplinary perspectives, from those of sociology, to political science, to psychology, to philosophy. But there is scope for a more thorough application of historical knowledge in this area. This event will seek to provide an historical perspective in order better to appreciate the significance and implications of the Internet.

A mixture of academic historians and practitioners from institutions such as Parliament and The National Archives will take part.

Subjects considered will include:

The impact of earlier communications technologies, in particular the printing press;

1 December 2016 - 09:00 am - 13:00 pm

Council Room, King's College London

History and the Internet

The Internet is a phenomenon studied from a wide variety of academic disciplinary perspectives, from those of sociology, to political science, to psychology, to philosophy. But there is scope for a more thorough application of historical knowledge in this area. This event will seek to provide an historical perspective in order better to appreciate the significance and implications of the Internet.

A mixture of academic historians and practitioners from institutions such as Parliament and The National Archives will take part.

Subjects considered will include:

The impact of earlier communications technologies, in particular the printing press;

1 December 2016 - 09:00 am - 13:00 pm

Council Room, King's College London

Prominent economic and political historians will come together to give their perspectives on what the past can tell us about the future. Has the referendum result changed our constitution irrevocably? How and when will we leave? How are the negotiations likely to work and what are the precedents? What can Britain’s pre-European past tell us about its economic future?

Above all, what challenges will Westminster and Whitehall face over the coming years as they address these questions? The discussions seek to offer long-range guidance and perspective to policy makers in a situation for which there is no institutional memory. Historical context has never been more important.

2 November 2016 - 14:00 pm - 18:00 pm

Prominent economic and political historians will come together to give their perspectives on what the past can tell us about the future. Has the referendum result changed our constitution irrevocably? How and when will we leave? How are the negotiations likely to work and what are the precedents? What can Britain’s pre-European past tell us about its economic future?

Above all, what challenges will Westminster and Whitehall face over the coming years as they address these questions? The discussions seek to offer long-range guidance and perspective to policy makers in a situation for which there is no institutional memory. Historical context has never been more important.

2 November 2016 - 14:00 pm - 18:00 pm