Violent Agreement: Hard choices after Hot Essay Summer

​Over the summer, Mat Lawrence (The Productive State) and Mark McVitie (An Honest Day) each set out a vision for Britain's economy. Then they wrote together in the New Statesman arguing that the two point to one settlement.

​The essays were the easy part. Now, with Sascha O'Sullivan (POLITICO's Westminster Insider) in the chair, they go five rounds on what the Burnham government should actually do: the speech, the Budget, the ten-year plan and the next election. In the final round, the audience asks the questions and delivers the verdict.

​One hour only. A conference pass is required.

​Mathew Lawrence is the founder and director of the think tank Common Wealth. He is co-author, with Alex Williams, of The Productive State: A Framework for Manchesterism (Mainstream, 2026), and co-author of Owning the Future (2022) and Planet on Fire (2021).

​Sascha O'Sullivan hosts POLITICO's Westminster Insider podcast. She was previously comment and features editor at City A.M., and began her career as a political reporter at The Sun and The Australian.

​Mark McVitie co-founded and led the Labour Growth Group, a caucus of more than 100 Labour MPs focused on economic reform. He is the author, with Chris Curtis MP, of An Honest Day: A New Economic Settlement for Britain (2026).