Free speech and Debating Matters - Inside the Lords

Why we need more debate on ALL big questions

Do you think Debating Matters? Well, we have a special event for you. Put 12th December in your diary right now. The charitable project Debating Matters (which I was one of the founders of 20 years ago) has a special Christmas Lecture. Before I tell you all about it, let me remind you why debate is so important.

As the Culture Wars continue to get more bitter and more fractious with each passing week, the need for open discussion has become ever more pressing. The big questions facing us in society require much more discussion than they get. This was the theme of this week’s Inside the Lords.

As I mention, a good example of this is the debate on immigration. For many, this is a frustrating subject because an open debate on the issue has been shut down by those who label anyone who dares say they would like less of it as a racist. But we need to avoid becoming a caricature of ourselves. Concerns about immigration CAN veer off into outright racism. We need a debate, not a race to the bottom.

In the House of Lords, the question of free speech is rearing its head as the Higher Education bill goes through. There have been some disappointing changes to this made by the government which I fear water down the bill and remove the protections for free speech that are so crucial to what I think of as the proper University ethos of open debate. I will be opposing these!

A precondition of a good debate is affording a level of respect to our opponents. I welcomed Baroness Lea of Lymm CBE to the chamber this week. I disagree with her on a whole range of issues but have always found her an interesting and gracious intellectual opponent. So I was delighted to be asked to welcome her and my little paean to respecting our opponents warmed, I was told, a few hearts even among my opponents.

I hope I’ve persuaded you once again on the need for debate.

But how can YOU can support debate? Well, as I mentioned: join us on Monday 12 December for the Debating Matters Christmas Lecture. Debating Matters is a fantastic charitable project which gives young people a rigorous but accessible format for learning about and debating key social questions. It is also used in prisons, where learning to get your point across with words rather than fist is, you might say, especially important!

The Christmas Lecture will be delivered by Ali Miraj - founder of the Contrarian Prize- on ‘Against Conformity: Why Debating Matters’. It also kicks off Debating Matters’ 20th anniversary year - which will see 20 events across the year. More information is available below.

We’d love to see you there, or, if you can make it, consider supporting the project through a donation.

Debating Matters Christmas Lecture 2022

December 2022 marks the twentieth anniversary of Debating Matters. Since our inception, we’ve hosted sixth-form debating competitions across the UK, in Europe and beyond! We’ve worked in a range of different settings, including Debating Matters Beyond Bars in prisons.  Our acclaimed Topic Guides continue to be widely used as a teaching resource around the world. 

We’d like you to come and celebrate our twentieth anniversary on Monday 12 December at St George’s German Lutheran Church in Aldgate, London from 7pm.

Ali Miraj

LECTURER
We are delighted that Ali Miraj, founder of the Contrarian Prize, will be giving a lecture titled, ‘Against Conformity: Why Debating Matters’, which will be followed by audience questions and comments.

Join us for some big ideas and Christmas cheer from 7pm. And, if you want to keep the party – and the conversation – going, join us afterwards in the pub!

DETAILS
Date: Monday 12 December
Time: 7pm-9pm
Venue:
St George’s German Lutheran Church, 55 Alie St, London E1 8EB
Public transport: nearest Tube stations are Aldgate East (two minutes’ walk) and Aldgate (six minutes’ walk)

TICKETS
Tickets are £8 / £5 (concessions)

SUPPORT DEBATING MATTERS
If you would like to give an additional contribution to support DM’s work this year, please visit the DM Donorbox page.