Schedule

For years, concerns about ‘the Blob’ were dismissed as a right-wing talking point. Now, both left and right recognise the problem. An overgrown, risk-averse state that delays projects, stifles innovation and resists reform. In the United States, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is allegedly attempting to cut red tape to create a leaner, more responsive government. But it’s attracting criticism from many of its original backers. 

What does a true start-up culture look like? Does Britain need its own DOGE? Or will this just create new unintended and harmful consequences?

Britain has become a high-tax, high-spend economy with low-growth and productivity, despite strengths in tech, academia, and finance. With so many advantages, why does stagnation persist? What’s holding Britain back, and what needs to change to finally unlock its economic potential?

Just as technology has enabled individuals to disrupt the media, could the same happen in politics? New upstart policy initiatives are gaining traction, leading to the question: are the traditional think tank and lobbyist class losing their grip? Should grassroots movements take the lead, bypassing bureaucracy to tackle overlooked but urgent issues directly?

The idea that Britain’s stagnation stems from an inability to build – houses, transport, and the associated infrastructure – has gained cross-party traction. But with the cancellation of HS2, what’s the future for major transport projects in Britain? Should we think of the future in terms of scale – gleaming high speed lines and maglevs – or in fixing the basics faster and better?

What does it take to align institutional structure with national missions and speed up delivery? Should we fix old institutions or build new ones? Initiatives like the Free Schools movement, ARIA, and SpaceX show how fresh structures can drive innovation and challenge the status quo. Reforming existing institutions, such as the NHS however, makes use of established infrastructure and broad reach – albeit slowly. When is disruption worth the risk, and where is reform still possible? Can innovation and accountability truly coexist?

In business, underperformance often leads to consequences. In government, it often leads to bigger budgets and little accountability. Civil service protections, rigid rules, and a risk-averse culture mean failure is rarely punished. If Britain wants a government that works, one question looms large: why can’t we sack people?

Work, once tied to self-fulfillment and ambition, is increasingly viewed as an obstacle in the way of those things. With rising welfare claims – particularly among young people with mental health issues – and a growing share of recipients exempt from job-seeking, the system is under strain. Is this a sign of a growing culture of dependency? As the state shoulders more, can Britain still foster the resilience and drive needed for a thriving, entrepreneurial society?

Britain produces great start-ups, but why do so few scale successfully at home? Are regulatory hurdles, talent shortages, or funding gaps to blame? What structural changes might keep high-growth businesses from selling early or moving abroad?

Defence is emerging as a powerful engine for industrial renewal, reviving manufacturing, accelerating applied tech, and forging new public-private partnerships. In the U.S, companies like Palantir and Anduril have shown how state-backed demand can drive innovation. Could a defence-led strategy offer Britain a path out of stagnation? With the right mix of national ambition and entrepreneurial energy, might this model reconcile free market dynamism with a long-term industrial strategy?

The idea that Britain’s stagnation partly stems from a failure to provide cheap energy has gained a lot of support. But what would delivering on that promise really involve? Small Modular Reactors have been touted as one potential solution, and our abundance of brownfield sites makes us particularly well-suited to them. Could they be our future? Or are there just too many regulatory hurdles to get the idea off the ground?

Government is often seen as slow and bureaucratic, but moments like the COVID-19 vaccine rollout show it can move fast, innovate, and deliver. What made that possible, and can it be replicated more broadly? Which parts of start-up culture translate to public service, and where do the demands of governance require something different?

In business, you make a decision, and it can happen straightaway. In politics, you have to persuade, build alliances, and win arguments – often slowly and painfully. Some say we need more business people in politics, but does business experience translate? Do we need more CEOs in Westminster, or does politics play by different rules?

From promises of innovation and economic growth to fears of surveillance and job displacement, AI has become a battleground for geopolitical power, safety concerns, and ethical dilemmas.

This brainstorming session explores a deeper question: What would an AI future rooted in the Western liberal tradition of civic freedom and individual rights look like? Have our current debates obscured the need for a coherent, principle-driven vision?

Once a niche legal safeguard, Judicial Review now plays a prominent role in politics – blocking deportations and delaying projects like HS2 and Heathrow’s third runway. Has it become a tool for political obstruction? Can legal oversight be preserved without enabling activism through the courts?

Every year, conferences diagnose the UK’s problems and float solutions – yet it sometimes feels like little changes. Is it a failure of imagination and willpower, or the paralysis of too much choice? After days of exploring ideas and strategies, the real question is: how do we act? Does the UK need disruption – and if so, what form should it take? From new parties to Brexit, what can we learn from history to shape the future?