The National Debt: A short history Martin Slater
Event details
While it is central to today's politics, few people fully understand the National Debt and its role in shaping the course of British history. Without it, Britain would not have gained - and lost - two empires, nor won its wars against France and Germany. But Britain has also been moulded by attempts to break free of the Debt, from postwar Keynesian economics to today's austerity.
Martin Slater, author of The National Debt, presents a vivid tale coloured with some of the most dramatic incidents and personalities of Britain's past - from clashes between King and Parliament, American independence and war in Europe, to the abolition of slavery, the development of the Union and the role of leading figures such as Pitt, Gladstone, Adam Smith and Keynes.
From medieval times to the 2008 financial crash and the present day, join Martin as he explores the changing fortunes of the Debt, and so of Great Britain.
This event will take place live on Zoom Webinar. You will receive a link to join a couple of days before the event and a reminder an hour before. During the event, you can ask questions via a Q&A function, but audience cameras and microphones will remain muted throughout.
Book sales
You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too.
About the speaker
Martin Slater was Economics Fellow at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, UK, for over 30 years before retiring in 2013. He has also served as Oxford’s Economics Sub-Faculty chair and as a managing editor of Oxford Economic Papers. Principally an industrial economist, recent years have stimulated his interest in the peculiarities of debt. He is the author of National Debt: A Short History (Hurst, paperback 2025).
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