Oliver Letwin
The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Oliver Letwin is a seasoned politician known for his role in shaping policy and fostering collaboration across party lines. This interview highlights his commitment to finding common ground and his belief in the necessity of cooperation in politics to avoid polarization.
“Yeah, I think that is true. I mean, I was a very unnotable academic, so it wasn't so much that I turned my back on academic life, it was more that academic life turned its back on me. I discovered that I was never going to write anything of very great significance to mankind and so did something else.”
“Norway's and Canada's and Switzerland possibilities, exactly. And so the question is how, when it brings back the withdrawal act implementation bill, does it intend to proceed to get that agreement?”
“That's a really, really precious inheritance, and we absolutely shouldn't let it go. And it depends in the end on civility and mutual respect and the ability to disagree without falling out and the thing I really, really, really hate about what's happened in the last few months and indeed the last few years is that increasingly we've seen…”
“Well, Nick, there are moments, and it's the sort of most difficult thing about politics. There are moments when you do have to ask yourself, what is my order of priorities? And I accept that what is going on now will impose very severe strains, probably on all political parties, certainly on the Conservative Party. I accept that.”
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson — The Oliver Letwin One
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