Second round of Lectures held for one of Midhurst's most influential residents

The second round of the lecture series has taken place.

The draw of such a speaker meant the event was extremely ‘well attended’ according to the organiser of this event. Organiser, Tim Young, commented, “We were delighted that Henry accepted our invitation to be part of this lecture series.

"Henry writes the bulk of The Economists economic leaders, has led and contributed to over thirty cover stories and is the author of many special reports. His journalism is cited frequently by policymakers in Europe and America. Henry’s presence here in Midhurst gives real kudos to the event”.

Henry explained how Richard Cobden was instrumental to the launch and initial success of The Economist, which he described as a ‘viewspaper’, back in 1843. Cobden was a contemporary of Jimmy Wilson, who founded The Economist, and they shared a common cause in their opposition to The Corn Laws. The Economist was founded on the principle of free trade.

People taking a look at the history of one of Midhurst's most influential residents.

Henry went on to explore the extent to which The Economist has remained aligned to Cobden’s Liberal values over the years. A series of cover stories showed how The Economist has taken a prominent stance on issues such as privatisation, gay rights, drug legalisation and assisted dying, often well ahead of mainstream opinion.

There have been some issues, however, where the speaker and his audience speculated that Cobden may have opposed the views of The Economist, for example where it has considered war of any kind to be justified. A committed pacifist, it is reported that Cobden’s abhorrence of war amounted to a passion.

A very informative talk was followed by lively debate exploring issues as wide-ranging as the merits of sanctions on Russia, the legalisation of cannabis, intervention in Syria, euthanasia, carbon tax and Brexit.

The next talk in the series, ‘Cobden and Dunford House’ by Anthony Howe, will take place on Thursday 7th March at 7pm in The Old Library, Midhurst. ITickets are available from Eventbrite (search ‘Richard Cobden’) or directly from Tim Young (call 07407 009930).