Sir Sajid Javid – Lessons From the Front Bench (Part Two)

Intelligence Squared

News Commentary, Arts, News, Society & Culture

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 February 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For more than a decade, Sir Sajid Javid was at the heart of power in Britain. First elected in 2010, he rapidly rose to his first cabinet position as Culture Secretary. The son of a bus driver and comprehensive school-educated, he was one of the few cabinet members from a working-class background. He went on to hold several ministerial roles under three different prime ministers including Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. In February 2026 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share lessons from his time in government. Drawing from his new memoir The Colour of Home, he also revealed his story of a childhood marked by poverty and racism, and explored his thoughts on Britain’s multiracial society. ---- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Sophie Tom and the kids are standing by the luggage carousel, waiting for Sophie's bag.
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0:30.7	Poppy's come to the end of her work visa.
0:32.7	She partied most nights and now can't afford her flight back to the UK.
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1:03.3	Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
1:05.5	I'm producer Mia Sorrenti.
1:11.1	For this episode, we're rejoining for part two of our recent live event with former British politician, Sajad Javid. Javid joined us recently at the Shaw Theatre to discuss his memoir, The Colour of Home,
1:17.2	and his experiences at the centre of British political life. He was in conversation with
1:22.0	broadcaster Ritula Shah. If you haven't heard part one, we recommend jumping back an episode
1:26.7	to get up to speed.
1:28.4	Now let's rejoin the conversation live at the Shaw Theatre in London.
	...

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