Peter Saunders personal website
News and events
Forthcoming events:
Sunday 31 October:
I have accepted an invitation to speak at the session on 'class' at this year's Battle of Ideas festival, organised by the Institute of Ideas.
Tuesday 7 September:
Speaking on poverty measurement at Institute for Fiscal Studies workshop on reducing child poverty - details
August 2010:
Thursday 26 August:
I give evidence at Frank Field's Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances (Cabinet Office, London). The civil servants preparing the report resist my suggestion that sole parenthood should be included in their list of risk factors. They also dispute my claim that intelligence is a key factor in social mobility.
Thursday 26 August:
After a long delay, The Guardian publishes a short (500 word) response from Christopher Snowdon and me to its full-page article accusing us being ideas wreckers
Wednesday 25 August:
For the second time in less than a fortnight, I agree to appear on Channel 4 News to debate The Spirit Level, only for Wilkinson and Pickett to withdraw, leading to cancellation of the item.
Sunday 22 August:
Julia Hartley-Brewer discusses 'Social Mobility Myths' in her column in The Sunday Express
Saturday 21 August:
After Wilkinson tells the Times Higher Education Supplement that he will no longer debate with his critics, Nigel Hawkes in The Independent attacks the Spirit Level authors' stance as 'a disgrace'
Friday 20 August:
Jeff Randall quotes Social Mobility Myths in a Daily Telegraph article on dumbed-down A-levels and degraded universities.
Wednesday 18 August:
Press briefing for Civitas responding to Nick Clegg's speech on promoting social mobility
Tuesday 17 August:
I participate in a BBC Radio 4 Today programme discussion on social mobility - listen
Saturday 14 August:
The Guardian has another go at discrediting critics of its favourite book, dismissing me and other Spirit Level critics as 'right-wing wreckers'. No attempt is made to explain our methodological concerns.
Friday 13 August:
Presentation on social mobility at Dept of Work & Pensions Strategy Group seminar, London. A lively and well-informed discussion ensues.
Friday 13 August:
I review the weaknesses in The Spirit Level in the CIS weekly newsletter Ideas@TheCentre. Toby Young reviews the arguments in The Spectator, concluding The Spirit Level is 'bunkum'.
July 2010:
Wednesday 28 July:
The Guardian publishes a short response to its editorial from Chris Snowdon and me on its letters page.
Monday 26 July:
The Guardian devotes an Editorial to defending the authors of The Spirit Level against the 'polemical attack' by myself and Chris Snowdon. Claims we want to deflect people's attention from the Tory Budget!
Thursday 22 July:
Debate on 'The Spirit Level' at the Royal Society of Arts, London in front of sell-out audience of 200 people. Partnered by Chris Snowdon (author of 'The Spirit Level Delusion') and opposed by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Listen
Thursday 9 July:
On The Guardian web site, the authors of 'The Spirit Level' attack my critique of their findings as 'racist' because I control for ethnicity. See my response to their comments here.
Wednesday 8 July:
Policy Exchange publishes Beware False Prophets, my critique of 'The Spirit Level', a book which claims that everybody's lives would be improved if income inequalities were reduced. In The Times, David Aaronovitch calls it a 'thorough debunking' of the 'Koran of the centre-left'.
Friday 2 July:
Reflections on England's World Cup debacle, published in the CIS weekly e-newsletter, Ideas@TheCentre
June 2010:
Monday 21 June:
Debating Ken Henry's Australian tax and welfare reform proposals on ABC National 'Australia Talks'
Friday 18 June:
I am honoured to accept the offer to become a Professorial Research Fellow at Civitas, the London-based think tank.
Thursday 17 June:
Live video link to Centre for Independent Studies (Sydney) debating the Ken Henry review of Australian welfare benefits system. Details here
Sunday 13 June:
Dominic Lawson in The Sunday Times reports on my critique of the last government's Child Poverty Bill; Alasdair Palmer in The Sunday Telegraph discusses my latest report on social mobility.
Wednesday 9 June:
New Zealand Welfare Working Group discusses welfare reform. Read my submission or watch my video presentation
Sunday 6 June:
'Busting the myth of our rigid classes' - article on social mobility published in The Sunday Times
Thursday 3 June:
Interview on 'Sussex Breakfast' programme on BBC Radio Sussex about Social Mobility Myths
Tuesday 1 June:
Reports in Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail on Social Mobility Myths
Tuesday 1 June:
Social Mobility Myths published by Civitas. Order from Amazon
May 2010:
Thursday May 27:
Chair debate at Civitas on industrial policy between David Green of Civitas and John Willman of Policy Exchange. Visit Civitas here
Monday May 10:
Article on the economic implications of the UK general election result, published in The Australian newspaper. Read it here
Wednesday May 5:
In New Zealand, some politicians continue to attack what they call my 'extreme view' that 'low average intelligence and low class are linked'. Do they believe that ability plays no part in occupational recruitment? Read my response here
April 2010:
Thursday April 29:
In New Zealand Parliament, Labour attacks my involvement in the welfare reform group, claiming I argue that "low-income people are innately more stupid and more often end up on welfare." You can read the comment here. To see what I actually say about class and intelligence, read my new book, Social Mobility Myths
Thursday April 29:
Article on the UK election campaign published in The Australian newspaper. Read it here
Wednesday April 14:
I am writing one article per week for the Centre for Independent Studies e-newsletter in Sydney, discussing aspects of the UK general election campaign. You can read them here.
Tuesday April 13:
New Zealand Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, has announced that I have been appointed as an 'international expert' helping the new working group on welfare reform. More details here.
Saturday April 10:
Daily Telegraph quotes my view that a tax break for married couples would be both 'practical and equitable'. View article here
February 2010:
Tuesday February 23:
In the House of Lords debate on the Child Poverty Bill, Opposition spokesperson, David Freud, cites my Policy Exchange paper in support of his proposed amendment. Read the debate in Hansard
Thursday February 4:
Debate: Should the state support marriage through the tax/benefit system? Sponsored by Policy Exchange. Other speakers were Stephen Brien (Centre for Social Justice), Andrew Haldenby (Reform) and Richard Reeves (DEMOS). For more details, click here
Wednesday February 3:
Why there should be a married couple's tax allowance. Published on politics.co.uk, the UK's leading political news website. Click here to read
November 2009:
Friday November 27:
Are the Government's Proposed Measures the Right Ones? Paper on the government's Child Poverty Bill presented at the Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion conference in Birmingham, 'Tackling child poverty in hard times'. Click here to download Powerpoint slides from the presentation.
October 2009:
Thursday October 29:
Poverty of Ambition, a critique of the Government's Child Poverty Bill and its statutory poverty targets, published by Policy Exchange. Download a copy here.
Tuesday October 27:
New novel, The Versailles Memorandum goes on sale. Go to website .
Saturday October 10:
'Visions of Hastings' runner-up prize awarded at Hastings Town Hall for short story, Enough Edge. The story will be published next year by Earlyworks Press in a collection edited by Kay Green. More information
