Big Tent Ideas podcast

In the second in his series of re-imagining major policy areas, KPMG partner Mark Essex has a look at how we might look differently at the benefits system, to everyone's advantage.

Ian Saunders is the Founder and CEO of Natural Security Consulting. In this episode, he discusses the opportunities and challenges for delivering the UK's international development aid in rural areas, suggesting how we can improve the existing system. Ian Saunders is a founding director of Natural Security Consulting Limited and the Tsavo Conservation Group, which is based in Kenya. Natural Security is a new UK based consultancy that offers clients the benefit of over thirty years of operational and strategic experience across five continents in the commercial, not for profit and governmental sectors. Ian’s experience spans many years “at the coal face” working in the field with diverse indigenous rural communities and cultures as well as in the commercial sector in frontier markets, and additionally advising heads of regional and national governments in Africa and Central Asia on environmental, security and political aspects of rural stability. He has briefed US Congressional committees, testified before the US Senate and at Congressional hearings and assisted in the drafting of US Government legislation (the END Wildlife Trafficking Act). In addition, he has advised select committee members of the UK Government and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan culminating in the development and coordination of the engagement, security and logistics plan (Kabul and Central Province) for the first Afghan presidential elections in 2004. His rural management strategy, Stabilization through Conservation of natural resources (StabilCon) was launched at a packed one day dedicated conference at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), London and successfully implemented on the ground across a 1.2 million-acre high risk area of North Eastern Kenya for four years.

Chris Clarke is the author of Warring Fictions. In this episode, he talks about where the differences lie between populism and non-populism, and why people feel politically homeless on both sides of the line - and not just close to the centre. He argues that tribalism and three myths are destroying our politics, and asks: what can be done to save them?

Nick Denys of the Think Tank Tory Workers considers whether capitalism can be saved. 

6,000 children were excluded from school last summer, with knock-on effects across communities. The writer Cristina Odone talks about the impact, and what she's doing to help address the problem through her charity, the National Parenting Organisation.

KPMG Partner Mark Essex discusses how change comes about, and applies that thinking to how we might radicalise the efficiency of spend on the NHS. 

Theo Clarke, the Founder and CEO of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, talks to Lieutenant General Phil Jones in the latest in her series on Global Britain. If you want to record a podcast for Big Tent, please tweet us @bigtentideas

Former Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey talks to Chi-chi Nwanoku of the Royal Academy of Music and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment about how we can improve access to the Arts

Theo Clarke, the Founder and Chief Executive of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, talks about what role Britain can play in the world today - almost without mentioning Brexit!