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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Change requires delivery, not just policies

Gavin Oldham
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Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Change requires delivery, not just policies
Nigel Farage's stunning electoral success last Thursday exposed the chronic failure of state-centred socialism and the policy vacuum at the heart of the discredited Conservative party, following a decade of errors of judgement. Thomas Jefferson set out his 'self-evident truths' in 1776, that all are equal in deserving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: these, combined with constitutional acceptance of the need for inter-generational rebalancing, provide the real alternative to the narrow populism of the far right. Background music: 'The New Order' by Aaron Kenny
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: New Ideas to tackle Climate Change

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: New Ideas to tackle Climate Change
Climate change deniers may be in the hot seat across the Atlantic, but there is still a real determination to tackle global warming here in the United Kingdom. Harnessing sunlight is at the heart of new initiatives to build on the natural process of photosynthesis: much better that attempting to tamper with the atmosphere to dim sunlight. Meanwhile tidal flow generation has already given us a very reliable source of power generation — could tidal rise and fall bring us yet more benefit from the Moon's orbit of the Earth? Background music: 'Solar Power' Ashley Shadow
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Matters of Consequence

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Matters of Consequence
News of Pope Francis's death early on Easter Monday shocked everyone after his Easter blessings to those in St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. Tributes have poured in, one of the most notable from Keir Starmer. As Pope Francis journeys to the next world, we look forward to Professor Michael Egnor's new book, 'The Immortal Mind' and celebrate the resurrection. Pope Francis also had much to say on Artificial Intelligence, whose challenge for humanity and youth employment is rising fast. It's not something that we can wish away — we have to learn to live with it. We share some ideas for young entrepreneurs, and look forward to the potential for widespread participation in its benefits. Background music: 'Requiem In Cello' by Hanu Dixit
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Bonds across Humanity

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Bonds across Humanity
Bonds can cement obligation, and the rising yields on long-dated U.S. Treasury bonds are currently closing down Donald Trump's options for bullying the world into submission. Other superpowers may be relishing the opportunity to wrest hegemony away from America, but would this change the world for the better? Bonds can also draw people together, using the example of servant leadership given by Jesus two thousand years ago when he washed his disciples' feet. Such unconditional love enables integration and definitely leading to a better world — surely a preferable way forward than superpower hegemony. Background music: 'Saving the World' by Aaron Kenny
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Everything, Everywhere — All At Once

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Everything, Everywhere — All At Once
Donald Trump may think he's a deal-maker, but he's more likely to turn out to be an economy-breaker, putting the U.S. dollar's role as the world's reserve currency at risk. Recession may be the least of our worries — this degree of instant aggression could well bring on a second Great Depression. So while few would disagree that U.S. needs to find a way out of its chronic trade imbalances, a transitional approach to tariffs with cross-party agreement designed to run over at least 2-3 presidential terms — thereby giving time to make the necessary changes — would have made far more sense. Background music: 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home' Cooper Cannell
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Why ‘Non-Experimental Evaluation’ Matters

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Why ‘Non-Experimental Evaluation’ Matters
Outcome assessment is vital for all new initiatives, particularly political, but traditional academic research, which is sequential in character, is not good at responding to the speed of change in our modern world. This is particularly the case in tackling Child Poverty, for which a UK-Government Task Force is due to report later this Spring. If we are to break the cycle of deprivation with inter-generational rebalancing, we need a new sense of dynamism and responsiveness. Background music: 'Peony Morning' by TrackTribe
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: End of the Road for Universality

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: End of the Road for Universality
When Clement Attlee introduced welfare universality to post-war Britain, he was aiming for a more egalitarian society. Seventy-five years on we can see not only that it has not been achieved, but also that it has nearly bankrupted the public finances: a major task for UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves to tackle in her Spring Statement. Targeting support for those most in need with the help of philanthropy will be a key part of replacing 'egalitarian socialism' with egalitarian capitalism, enabling those with a social conscience to concentrate support and encouragement where it's needed, rather than providing publicly-funded services 'free at the point of use' for everyone. Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins Image source: Wikipedia
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Monopolies provide no answers

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Monopolies provide no answers
Abolition of NHS England reverses the de-politicisation of the health service, but it leaves intact all the inefficiencies of being a monopoly: thereby rendering people complacent and satisfied with mediocrity, unless they're moved by the Florence Nightingale mindset. Competition enables progress, efficient delivery and innovation, but most of all it respects individuals as customers, not simply treating them as account numbers. No wonder that the Competition & Markets Authority encourages government to use competition effectively on behalf of consumers. Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: BRICS in the Ascendancy

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: BRICS in the Ascendancy
As the United States descends towards economic turmoil as a result of its new-found isolationism and unreliability, the BRICS group of nations (including Russia and China) will be looking forward to a new dawn for their mainly autocratic regimes and potentially an opportunity to replace the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency. If western democracies, particularly in Europe, are to turn that tide, they must discover long-term governance, a new approach to targeted welfare working in partnership with philanthropists as opposed to universality, and a significant increase in democratic legitimacy for global governance. Background music: 'India Fuse' by French Fuse
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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Stepping Forward — Together

Gavin Oldham
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Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Stepping Forward — Together
Isolation and insecurity as a result of reducing levels of in-person contact are causing problems in all walks of life, but particularly for young people in care. Getting started in adult life isn't just about learning the technical skills, but building self-confidence, communication skills and hope for the future. The performing arts — singing, dancing, acting and backstage — can provide these transferable skills with the real enjoyment of working together with others. So The Share Foundation has just launched its new programme 'Stepping Forward' in partnership with Tring Park School and the Rothschild Foundation. Background music: 'Communicator' by Reed Mathis
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