In the latest Times Higher Education books podcast, books editor Karen Shook speaks to political writer and historian, academic and former MP David Marquand about his moral-state-of-the-nation address, Mammon’s Kingdom: An Essay on Britain, Now.
The greatest obstacles to a decent capitalism are in our minds, says Welsh-born public intellectual Marquand as he skewers the sins of avarice and pride and their especially virulent expressions in the UK. Here, he discusses austerity and its discontents, the Browne Review and rising tuition fees, universities’ obsession with wealthy donors, classical economics’ ‘physics envy’, Tony Blair’s betrayals and Gordon Brown’s sober intellect, the value of select committees, the national treasure that is The Open University and the signs of hope, via the likes of 38 Degrees, Open Democracy and Avaaz, that we may yet rebuild our commonwealth.