Fortress London: Why we need to save the country from its capital

Huddersfield-born Sam Bright is one of many northerners drawn to London for opportunities that the rest of the UK does not enjoy. In his new book, Fortress London, he discusses how regional inequality leads to injustice and why the country – including London itself – needs saving from its capital.

Our capital is a vast melting pot of languages, cultures, and ideas, and rightly celebrated for it. For many, though, there is no other option. The only place to access the opportunities this country offers is London. Banking, law, politics, advertising, architecture, the arts and the media are all concentrated here.

Fortress London is a vividly written and timely polemic tackling the burning injustices shaping British society today. Sam Bright argues that to address Britain’s manifold problems, we need first to end the hegemony of its capital. Enriched by a vast array of interviews and statistics, it examines how our individual destinies, from childhood to death, are determined by the disproportionate power of London. It explains why regional inequality has fallen off the Left’s radar, even as the Right pays lip service to it, and it draws on international comparisons to show where we have gone wrong and, crucially, how we can fix it.

“Intelligently written and powerfully argued.” Paul Mason

“Witty, scathing, and entertaining.” Danny Dorling

This event is presented in partnership with the Free University of Slawit.

Sam Bright is Investigations Editor of Byline Times. He was previously a producer and researcher for the BBC across TV and Radio. He was a researcher for David Goodhart’s The Road to Somewhere – a book that changed Britain’s political lexicon – and for Jamie Bartlett’s Radicals, and has written op-eds and features for a number of leading publications, including the New Statesman, The Spectator, The Telegraph, VICE, the Huffington Post, and PoliticsHome. He is founder and editor of Backbench, an open platform politics blog designed for students and young professionals. Sam is from Huddersfield, and this is his first book.

 

HYBRID EVENT – this is a Hybrid event, which can be attended in person at the venue or accessed online. Simply select General Admission or e-ticket at checkout, and a link for online access will be sent to you the day before the event takes place.

Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: [email protected] with your request.

Event Date: Wednesday 15 March

Time: 7pm-8pm

Venue: Heritage Quay, Schwann Building, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH

Tickets: Free (donations welcomed, booking recommended)

Age guidance: 16+

Access Guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/huddersfield-literature-festival/access-guides/heritage-quay

Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: [email protected] with your request.

T&Cs

We cannot be held responsible for the facilities provided by the venue.

Book tickets