Sam Freedman Failed State: The Sunday Times Bestselling Investigation Into Why Britain is Struggling

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Why does nothing work in Britain?

Its harder than ever to get a GP appointment. Burglaries go unpunished. Rivers are overrun with sewage. Real wages have been stagnant for years, even as the cost of housing rises inexorably. Why is everything going wrong at the same time?

It's easy to blame dysfunctional politicians who are out for themselves. But, in reality, its more complicated. Politicians can make things better or worse, but all work within our state institutions. And ours are utterly broken.

In this gripping talk, Sam Freedmanformer Senior Adviser to Education Secretary Michael Gove and now one of the UKs most trusted political analystslays bare the systemic failures behind Britains broken state. Drawing on his top five Sunday Times bestselling book Failed State, described as Excellent . . . persuasive . . . convincing' (The Times) and 'funny, whipsmart and devastating. Sanity on steroids' by Emily Maitlis, Freedman dissects the culture of short-termism, chaos and incompetence that has hollowed out our institutions.

With forensic clarity and insider experience from the heart of Whitehall, Freedman explores how decades of neglect, partisan tribalism and constant ministerial churn have left Britain in disarray. Yet this is not a counsel of despairFreedman also outlines how a renewed focus on professionalism, accountability and long-term vision could begin to rebuild trust and capacity in public life.

Sam Freedman is a political commentator, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, and a regular columnist for the Financial Times. He has advised at the highest levels of government and is renowned for his sharp, accessible insight into how politics really works.

A Q&A session will follow.