How Richard Haldane shaped modern Britain: a conversation with John Campbell and Sir Anthony Seldon

Published: May 19, 2021, 9:38 a.m.

b'The legacy of Richard, Viscount Haldane can be seen across modern Britain. But why has modern Britain forgotten the many and wide-ranging accomplishments of this philosopher-statesman?\\n\\nThe Institute for Government was delighted to welcome John Campbell, author of Haldane: The Forgotten Statesman Who Shaped Modern Britain, and Sir Anthony Seldon, historian and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, to discuss his life and legacy.\\n\\nRichard Haldane created the Territorial Army and the British Expeditionary Force and was a key player in the formation of MI5, MI6, and the RAF. In academia, he played a big part in founding and developing the LSE, Imperial College, the \\u2018redbrick\\u2019 universities, and the Medical Research Council. His work in science and research with the University Grants Committee was catalytic in British university life, and his name is still frequently invoked in the "Haldane principle" \\u2013 that the aims of research should be separate from government direction \\u2013 although the principle and indeed the attribution to him are still hotly debated. A formidable lawyer and philosopher, who rose to be Lord Chancellor, he was the first incumbent of that office to advocate an independent Supreme Court.\\n\\nIn a conversation chaired by Bronwen Maddox, the Director of the Institute for Government, John Campbell and Sir Anthony Seldon discussed Haldane\'s influence on the past and present. \\n\\nJohn Campbell, who describes himself as a lifelong admirer of Haldane, is also co-founder and chair of Campbell Lutyens, an international private equity and infrastructure advisory house.'