WHY BATTLE OF IDEAS NORTH 2026?

While the Battle of Ideas festival in London has become a landmark event, we’ve always emphasised the importance of looking beyond Westminster to understand today’s public frustrations and political upheaval. And with the Labour psychodrama over Andy Burnham – the supposed ‘King of the North’ – alongside the rise of Reform and the Greens, the by-election in Gorton and Denton has propelled Manchester to the centre of national political debate. So desperate are Labour that they’ve already taken to doctoring videos of Reform’s candidate, Matt Goodwin.

But there is so much to discuss beyond the future of one Westminster seat. After Donald Trump’s machinations over Greenland and Venezuela, and with the tenth anniversary of the Brexit vote coming up, we’ll be asking what sovereignty means and whether it still matters. We’ll be discussing the economy, particularly the future of the North. We’ll also be debating the future of housing, the state of our communities and the gender divide – from the failure of institutions to implement the Supreme Court ruling to the growing differences between men and women when it comes to politics.

Above all, we’ll be raising the issue of free speech, both specifically in the arts and in relation to the continued assault on our freedom of expression from all sides of society. Battle of Ideas events have a longstanding motto – FREE SPEECH ALLOWED – but how can we defend that idea in the face of constant attacks from government and beyond?

If you want to understand what’s going on in the world and, above all, have your say without fear or favour, join us in Manchester on Saturday 7 March.