For Jacob Rees-Mogg the 19th century was a golden era. It was a time of moral certainty, of a global vision for Great Britain, and a confidence in the essential goodness of our great nation. And it is a period of history that offers us guidance as we collectively seek a way forward for Britain in these confusing times. In a new book Rees-Mogg celebrates twelve prominent figures from the Victorian era, including the statesmen Palmerston, Peel, Gladstone and Disraeli, two military leaders, Napier and Gordon, and of course Victoria herself and her consort Albert. Rees-Mogg salutes the Victorians’ drive and reforming zeal – to lower the cost of food, reform the prison system and abolish the slave trade. They bequeathed us a stable democracy, the rule of law and freedom of speech, which led to the stable and prosperous state we enjoy today, Rees-Mogg argues. There is much that we can emulate in the Victorians’ sense of duty and self-belief.
While few would deny that the modern age owes a debt to the Victorians, many would argue that Rees-Mogg’s vision is a somewhat blinkered one, reflecting his own position as a Conservative MP on the right of the party and an ardent Brexiteer who believes in a post-Brexit global Britain. Joining Rees-Mogg on stage to challenge his views was Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, former Labour MP and historian of the Victorian era.
Rees-Mogg believes that if Britain can regain the self-confidence, moral certainty and outward-looking vision of the Victorians, we will thrive. But in the complex, interconnected world of the 21st century, is this vision of Britain not an outdated one?
Archive: Western Intervention and the Rise of Guerrilla Warfare, with David Kilcullen
The Garden as a Personal Paradise, with Olivia Laing
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & ZOE’s Dr Federica Amati on Eating 30 Plants A Week, Part Two
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & ZOE’s Dr Federica Amati on Eating 30 Plants A Week, Part One
Zeinab Badawi on an African History of Africa, Part Two
Zeinab Badawi on an African History of Africa, Part One
The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on How Smartphones Rewired Childhood, Part Two
The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on How Smartphones Rewired Childhood, Part One
Being Human in an AI World, with Susie Alegre
How the Legacy of the British Empire Still Shapes Our World, with Sathnam Sanghera
Archive: Doughnut Economics, with Kate Raworth
The Circle of Life, with Joe Roman
The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part Two
The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part One
George the Poet on Combatting the War on Blackness
Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part Two
Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part One
Arash Azizi on Iran's Turbulent Past and its Uncertain Future
Getting Weird with Physics, with Harry Cliff
Istanbul: Crossroads of the World, with Alexander Christie-Miller
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free