'In a vulnerable space': I'm on a panel to discuss Steve Waters's new play:

Norwich Arts Centre on October 22nd, 8pm:

Steve's new play on dangerous climate-change, which will be followed by a panel discussion:

Dr Rupert Read - philosopher, environmental thinker and Green Party candidate

Dr Veronika Sekules - artist and  Head of Education and Research at the Sainsburys Centre

Jonathan Woolley - anthropologist currently working in the Broads.

Do come along!

Wittgenstein and Physics Conference that I'm speaking at:

I lead off this event, on 22 Nov., in Oxford, at the brand new St Cross Centre for the History & Philosophy of Physics (HAPP) at the University of Oxford:

10.30 am WELCOME

10.45 am Dr Rupert Read - How to Admire Science and Despise Scientism: Wittgenstein's Contribution to the Great Challenge of His Time and Ours

11.30 am Professor Martin Kusch - Wittgenstein, Einstein, Metrology

12.15 pm Professor Carlo Penco - The Influence of Einstein on Wittgenstein's Thought Experiments

1 pm LUNCH BREAK

2 pm Dr Chon Tejedor - The Early Wittgenstein on Induction and the Principles of the Natural Sciences

2.45 pm Dr Richard Staley - Boltzmann, Mach and Wittgenstein's Vienna

3.30 pm TEA/COFFEE BREAK

4 pm Professor John Preston - Wittgenstein, Jeans and Eddington

4.45 pm Summary of the Day's Proceedings

The key to this inaugural event is its role as an exemplar of the interdisciplinary approach of our new HAPP Centre to the chosen fields of interest (i.e. physics, philosophy and history). Also the very nature of Wittgenstein's career provides a unique progession through various of the key developments in both physics and philosophy in the late 19th and 20th centuries. e.g. from his early years in Boltzmann's Vienna, to study in Planck's (and then Einstein's) Berlin, then onto Rutherford's Manchester and eventually to join the cohort of great physicists in Cambridge in the 1930s and 1940s.
Free. All welcome.

"You can't stop progress"

Cambridge are hosting me for this talk, early next month - please do come and join me as I question the myths of "progress" and [economic] "growth"

#IndyRef ... The fabulous opportunity presented by the narrow BetterTogether victory:

My call for a #ConstitutionalConvention, published this morning in Europe: http://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/now-must-constitutional-convention-whole-uk/

#ConstitutionalConventionNow!

My post-referendum piece this morn on OPEN DEMOCRACY'S OurKingdom project, a key venue for the discussion now underway: https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/rupert-read/constitutional-convention-now

Time to give all UK citizens a say

Statement from the Electoral Reform Society
Immediate release 09:45 19^th September 2014
Contact: Will Brett (will.brett@electoral-reform.org.uk / 07979 696 265)

Time to give all UK citizens a say

Commenting on the need for a UK-wide Constitutional Convention in the wake of the Scottish independence referendum, Katie Ghose (Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society) said:

"This referendum has demonstrated that when it comes to deciding the future of our country, people want to be asked. It would be a terrible waste if we do not build on that passion by ensuring everyone in the UK, and not just Scots, have a say in where power lies.

"Now is not the time for top-down commands on our constitution, issued by political leaders in the immediate, frenzied aftermath of this momentous vote. The future shape of the country is too important to be rushed through Parliament without consulting the people.

"We need a UK-wide, citizen-led Constitutional Convention to determine where power lies in the future. We can draw on international examples to create a process which does justice to people's passion for change.

"Such a process needs clarity of purpose, and certainty about how its conclusions will be taken forward. It needs the full support of all the political parties, but it must also retain its independence from them.

"Above all, a UK Constitutional Convention must capitalise on the enormous amounts of interest and passion sparked in Scotland by the independence referendum, and bring that passion for determining our political future to the rest of the United Kingdom."

ENDS

For more information, interviews and comment, contact Will Brett on 07979 696 265 / will.brett@electoral-reform.org.uk

NOTES

1. Last week The Times published a letter from the Electoral Reform Society and 18 other democracy experts, which called for a UK-wide Constitutional Convention whether or not Scotland votes for independence.
2. Citizen-led Constitutional Conventions have been successfully used around the world to settle where power should lie. For a recent example, see the Irish Constitutional Convention (https://www.constitution.ie). For more information about Constitutional Conventions and what this would look like for the United Kingdom, see http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmpolcon/writev/constconv/m24.htm See also the Irish Constitutional Convention process.

The Scottish referendum requires constitutional revolution - whatever its result

See my new piece on OPEN DEMOCRACY on this, co-authored with Rebecca Johnson, my colleague in 'Compass Greens': https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/rebecca-johnson-rupert-read/after-scotland-decides-build-citizencentred-democracy-through

Exciting first-ever Green House event in Norfolk:

Come hear Donnie MacLurcan of the Post-Growth Alliance at an event chaired by myself just outside Norwich, the weekend after this one: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-comes-after-capitalism-tickets-12750798983

 

Green Party to select its Cambridge General Election candidate:

And I'm the only one putting myself forward for it...:

At 7pm on Mon. 15th September, Cambridge Green Party will have a 'hustings' meeting to grill its potential candidate for the Parliamentary seat, Dr. Rupert Read, who is a Reader in Philosophy at the University of East Anglia. Dr. Read is well-known to many Cambridge voters and to the media as the recent lead-candidate for the Green Party in the European Elections: Read came within 1% of being elected MEP. Now he hopes to stand in Cambridge, for MP.
Cambridge was the Green Party's 3rd strongest result in the whole UK, after only Brighton Pavillion (where Caroline Lucas was elected as the Greens' first MP) and Norwich South, at the 2010 General Election. This May, the Green Party scored nearly 20% in both the European Elections and the Local Elections. And according to the Green Party's own national geodemographic database, Cambridge has the strongest potential of any seat in the entire UK to become a longterm Green stronghold.
Ellisif Wasmuth, Returning officer of Cambridge Green Party, said: "In the Green Party, being the only candidate at a selection does not guarantee selection, there is always an option for members to vote for 'None of the above'. As a party with a strong commitment to local democracy it is important for us to create fora like this where political discussion can take place, and I anticipate a lively hustings. We are very excited to have Rupert Read put himself forward for Cambridge, and look forward to having the chance to question him at this hustings meeting."
Rupert Read, who is also national Transport Spokesperson for the Green Party, said: "I anticipate that we will be discussing transport as one of the key topics of the campaign, at this hustings meeting. The Green Party is of course THE Party to back if you are concerned about traffic congestion and air pollution, if you want to take the railways back into public ownership, if you back much better facilities for cyclists and safer streets for pedestrians, and if you care about resisting damaging new road-schemes. I am looking forward immensely to discussing these and other matters of great importance to Cambridge with the Green Party membership on Monday evening."
Dr. Read continued, "Cambridge is one of the Green Party's best prospects in the entire country, at the General Election. Voters have lost faith in the old parties and in the vagaries of tactical voting; that's why the Green Party has been experiencing a surge in the polls. Cambridge's voters have the chance to do something extraordinary, next May."
Cambridge Greens will be voting by post for who to have as their parliamentary candidate, beginning soon after the hustings. The result will be publicly declared at a meeting with Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, on the morning of October 6th.

@richardjgodwin latest column in the ES:

Music to my ears, as national Transport Spokesperson for the Green Party; this is what we've been saying for months/years:

"Our railways are now owned by companies that cost us more in public subsidy than British Rail ever did, inflict annual fare rises on us and then reward their shareholders with record profits. All Britain gets is the bill. Last week the ailing Network Rail was quietly renationalised along with its £34billion (34,000,000) debt. Just as perversely, the East Coast Mainline, which has been publicly owned since 2009 and just made a profit of £235 million, will be re-privatised again next year. 

 "Which is not to say that national interests are not being served - they're just other countries national interests...

  "David Cameron refuses to exempt the NHS from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which critics warn will make it impossible for future governments ever to reverse these decisions. That would amount to a huge loss of sovereign power, and I am not hearing many battle cries from MPs..."

 

...Except of course from Caroline Lucas.

 

#VoteGreen!

Westminster Beeb interview with RR on Cambridge, Norwich...

Have a watch of me on the BBC talking about Green Party Conference, transport policy, etc: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B73KChI9p0RVVElMR3ZDeTRYaHc/edit?usp=sharing