Haldane and LSE w/ Gordon Brown*, John Campbell, Dr Jill Pellew & Professor Andrés Velasco

Richard Haldane pioneered cross-party and cross-sector cooperation. How might Haldane’s approach – that of the philosopher-statesman – be applied to politics today? Join author John Campbell and others for an online discussion of Richard Haldane’s legacy and political relevance today.

A close friend of Beatrice and Sidney Webb, Haldane was involved in the founding of LSE and his visionary thinking also laid the foundations for Imperial College, the ‘red brick’ universities, the University Grants Committee and the Medical Research Council. As Minister for War he shaped the modern British Army, and was instrumental in the creation of the BEF, the Territorial Army, the Imperial General Staff, the RAF, MI5 and MI6. As a lawyer and philosopher and in particular in his judicial work after becoming Lord Chancellor he was deeply concerned with the development of an effective State and Civil Service. His influence extended beyond the UK to the continent of Europe and to the Empire, especially Canada.

About the Book

Can you name the creator of the Territorial Army and the British Expeditionary Force? The man who laid the foundation stones of MI5, MI6, the RAF, the LSE, Imperial College, the ‘redbrick’ universities and the Medical Research Council?

This book reveals that great figure: Richard Burdon Haldane. As a philosopher-statesman, his groundbreaking proposals on defence, education and government structure were astonishingly ahead of his time—the very building blocks of modern Britain. His networks ranged from Wilde to Einstein, Churchill to Carnegie, King to Kaiser; he pioneered cross-party, cross-sector cooperation. Yet in 1915 Haldane was ejected from the Liberal government, unjustly vilified as a German sympathiser.

John Campbell charts these ups and downs, reveals Haldane’s intensely personal side through previously unpublished private correspondence, and shows his enormous relevance in our search for just societies today. Amidst political and national instability, it is time to reinstate Haldane as Britain’s outstanding example of true statesmanship.

John Campbell OBE is the co-founder and Chair of Campbell Lutyens, an international private equity and infrastructure advisory house. He read Economics at the University of Cambridge and began his career in corporate finance at N M Rothschild. Married with three children, he has long been inspired by Lord Haldane’s example.

Order a copy of Haldane: The Forgotten Statesman Who Shaped Modern Britain here.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEHaldane

*NB Gordon Brown will be joining this event via a pre-recorded talk, and will not be speaking live.