4 December 2017

Free Exchange: Oliver Letwin on the battle for the soul of Conservatism

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Sir Oliver Letwin has been at the heart of Conservative politics for most of his adult life. From working in Margaret Thatcher’s downing street policy unit to serving as one of David Cameron’s most trusted ministers, he has played an important part in shaping the modern Conservative party. Sir Oliver has just published Hearts and Minds, a memoir in which he does more than just rattle off a series of anecdotes from a life in politics. Instead, he uses the book to make the case for the liberal, pro-market variety of conservatism that he believes is both the recipe for electoral success and good government.

For this week’s episode of Free Exchange, I met Sir Oliver in his Parliamentary office, where we discussed his book, his wide-ranging career, the roots of Tory modernisation, and why he is intensely relaxed about the Brexit negotiations.

You can listen to the full episode here, or subscribe via iTunes.

Oliver Wiseman is Deputy Editor of CapX