In this episode, British historian and author Dr Simon Heffer returns to CIS for a provocative deep dive into the cultural and political currents reshaping the Western world.
In conversation with CIS Executive Director Tom Switzer, Heffer offers sharp insights into the global conservative backlash against identity politics, elite overreach, and the hollowing out of free speech across universities and public life.
Together, they tackle big questions confronting liberal democracies today:
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Why is there growing pushback against the progressive orthodoxy in countries like the US, UK, and Australia?
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What’s driving working-class voters back to the political right?
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Can Western societies afford net-zero policies, open borders, and bloated welfare states all at once?
With trademark wit and historical depth, Heffer reflects on Britain’s cultural identity, the media’s role in stifling dissent, and how cancel culture threatens the very foundations of democratic societies. A timely conversation on the urgent need to defend liberal values from within.
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