Intelligence Squared Rory Stewart on Trump, Nationalism and The Value of Rural Life (Part Two)
20 snips
Dec 12, 2025 
Rory Stewart is a former Conservative MP and author, known for his insights into rural life and politics. In a thought-provoking discussion, he examines the delicate balance between rural and urban communities while emphasizing that politics should prioritize values over mere delivery. Rory tackles the dangers of authoritarianism, drawing parallels with figures like Trump, and delves into the debate on Scottish independence with a call for democratic dialogue. He also touches on local governance and the potential for a more inclusive political system.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Landscape As Living Cultural History
- Rory Stewart argues Britain’s landscape is a human cultural product shaped over millennia, not wilderness waiting to be reclaimed.
- Large-scale rewilding can erase local livelihoods, traditions, and species dependent on cultivated edges.
Hidden Farms Beneath American Woodlands
- Rory Stewart recounts that many US forests are actually secondary growth covering vanished farms that moved west in the 19th century.
- He contrasts that with Cumbria, where stone walls and pollarded ash show continuous human land use for millennia.
Rewilding Should Be Locally Targeted
- Be selective about where to rewild and consider local economic realities before scaling projects.
- Use small, context-specific projects like NEP as models rather than blanket landscape-scale plans.
