Disruptors

Rory Stewart | How to Fix Broken Britain | How Rory Stewart Would Fix Politics in the UK

Mar 24, 2025

Rory Stewart, a former UK politician known for his in-depth understanding of government, discusses the pressing challenges facing British politics. He explores the stagnation of the UK's economy and the historical roots of current inequalities. Stewart critiques the complexities of governance, emphasizing the need for clarity and citizen engagement. He tackles the impact of Trump's leadership style and proposes radical reforms, including dismantling traditional parties. Insightful and provocative, Stewart's ideas aim to rethink political dynamics and inspire a more accountable system.

01:02:18

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Rory Stewart

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Quick takeaways

Rory Stewart highlights the UK's economic stagnation compared to the US, emphasizing the complexities of addressing its historical inequalities and public service expectations.

The rising income inequality since the 1980s, marked by a stark disparity between median incomes and CEO salaries, reflects a severe wealth gap impacting citizens' quality of life.

To restore trust in politics, Stewart advocates for innovative engagement methods, like citizen panels, to foster meaningful connections between government and the public.

Deep dives

Historical Context of the UK's Economic Decline

The UK has experienced moments of significant economic decline throughout its history, notably during the Second World War when the economy contracted dramatically. Despite some periods of stagnation, such as the last decade, the country has not been in an irreversible state of decline. Comparisons with the US economy further highlight the disparities and make the UK's stagnation appear more uncomfortable. Additionally, there is skepticism regarding the sustainability of US economic growth and whether it can be considered a model for the UK.

Intro

2min

Economic Inequality: Roots and Remedies

15min

Navigating Complexity in Politics: The Need for Clarity and Vision

5min

The Political Outsider: Leadership and Communication Challenges

20min

Rethinking Governance: A Citizen's Approach

15min

Quickfire Questions on Economy and Political Integrity

2min

Understanding Politics: Misconceptions and Corruption in Governance

2min

Reflections on Political Regret

4min

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Rob is joined by former UK politician Rory Stewart for a discussion on the state of British politics, including government inefficiency and the rise of populism. Rory Stewart gives his take on everything from the UK's economic challenges to Trump's leadership style, drawing from his own experience in government and talks about how we could fix politics in the UK. They also discuss inequality, political communication and the many flaws in democracy and politics right now.

Rory Stewart REVEALS:

His thoughts on Trump
Why many Britons feel uncomfortable and awkward about the UK at the moment
The UK isn't in rapid decline but stagnating whilst the US grows faster
Why current inequality in Britain stems from the 1980s Thatcher-Reagan era, where privatisation without regulation or monopoly prevention allowed private companies to exploit public utilities
Why politicians deliberately lie during elections
Our current democratic system is broken
How government is exponentially more complex than even large businesses, making it nearly impossible for voters to understand its full complexity.
How the most successful disruptors in politics (like Thatcher) succeed

BEST MOMENTS

"During the second World War, our economy contracted by 45%. We were about half as rich in 1945 as we were in 1939. Where the UK is, is it's been through a phase of kind of 10, 12 years of being pretty stagnant at a moment where the US has been growing fast."

"The top three people in the US, Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, their wealth is equivalent to the bottom 50% of the entire American population. They now have more money than 160 million American people. Thank God we haven't reached those levels yet."

"I kept saying to them, what are you doing? Right? All of you know, looking at your spending plans that you're gonna have to put up taxes and borrow more money because you've got a 70 billion pound black hole and all of them denied it all the way through the election."

"The problem in America and Britain is we never seem to get the balance right and boy has the balance gone wrong with the billionaires, they have created virtual monopolies. Think about Google, it’s got us all over a barrel."

"I don't know whether I'd go for Prime Minister again but I'd definitely like to look at doing something for the country. I think there's no job in government, no job in the world, more interesting than government that touches lives more directly."

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ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Moore is an author of 9 business books, 5 UK bestsellers, holds 3 world records for public speaking, entrepreneur, property investor, and property educator. Author of the global bestseller “Life Leverage” Host of UK’s No.1 business podcast “The Disruptive Entrepreneur”

“If you don't risk anything, you risk everything”

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