Live at the RSA - Do we get the politics we deserve?

10th Feb 2010; 20:00

(full recording including audience Q&A)
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As the election approaches and faith in our politicians seems ready to hit an all-time low, are we right to place 100% of the blame in the laps of our representatives?

The rise of confrontational news panel programmes with presenters hounding for ‘yes or no’ answers to complex questions seem to reflect the prevailing attitude toward politicians, and threaten to simplify and distort what can often be multifaceted and complicated political issues.

We demand absolute honesty and spin-free rhetoric from our politicians, but we become rapidly disillusioned with perceived weakness and are harsh on political candour; we demand funding for hospitals and then shout when education spending is cut; we hate it when they lie to us, and we hate it when they tell us the truth.

As the effects of the recession continue to reverberate, public spending belts tighten and difficult and unpopular political decisions have to be made, might it be time for us to be a bit more grown-up about politics?

Is it time to recognise that politics is all about compromise, and that we are willing to forego some things to gain others, or are we all enjoying shouting at our representatives too much?

Join us for the first in this special series of lively and topical debates held in association with LBC Radio.

Speakers to include: Matthew Taylor, chief executive, RSA; Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, journalist and regular columnist on The Independent; Anne McElvoy, political columnist for the Evening Standard; Karen Buck MP, is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Regent's Park and Kensington North since 1997.

Chair: James O’Brien, LBC

The event will be broadcast live from the RSA Great Room on LBC 97.3FM – ‘London’s Biggest Conversation’.

Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #rsalbc

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