The UK prides itself on its tolerance and has acted as a safe haven for political dissidents from Karl Marx to Nelson Mandela. Veteran journalist Martin Bright looks at the history of free expression with particular focus on the history of dissent. He will look at contemporary cases of whistleblowing and ask if Britain’s dissenting tradition is being undermined by recent developments.
Martin worked for over twenty years in journalism on national newspapers and magazines before setting up a youth employment charity, The Creative Society, in 2009. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Journalism at the University of Essex and Editor-at-Large for the free-expression magazine Index on Censorship. He has also worked in politics, academia, film, radio and TV. Official Secrets, a major movie about the challenge to democracy in the build-up to Iraq War based on a story Martin broke for the Observer in 2003, was released in 2019 starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith (as Martin!).
Members: Free, Online or Victoria Hall
Non-Members: £10, Online (please book) or Victoria Hall (pay on the door)