- History
- International Affairs
- Democracy
- Comparative Politics
- Politics, Institutions, and Public Opinion
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
- Revitalizing American Institutions
Daniel Hannan joins Secrets of Statecraft and starts with a major announcement: his appointment as the new director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the pioneering free-market think tank founded in 1955. Hannan reflects on the intellectual legacy of the IEA and argues that the case for free markets, once broadly accepted, must now be made all over again in an age drifting back toward statism. The conversation ranges widely—from the resurgence of protectionism and the erosion of economic literacy to the failures of modern political leadership, the legacy of Brexit, and the cultural forces shaping today’s electorate. Along the way, Hannan explores the deep roots of conservatism, the challenges of defending free trade in an intuitive protectionist world, and the urgent need to reintroduce fundamental economic truths to a new generation.
Recorded on May 1, 2026.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Daniel Hannan is a British writer, journalist, and politician. For most of his career, Hannan has been a member of the Conservative Party. He was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 1999 to 2020. In 2021, he became a sitting member of the House of Lords, taking the Conservative whip, and in 2020 became an adviser to the Board of Trade. He is the founding president of the Initiative for Free Trade.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Secrets of Statecraft is a bimonthly podcast hosted by Distinguished Visiting Fellow Andrew Roberts that explores the effect that the study of history has had on the careers and decision-making of public figures. The podcast also features leading historians discussing the influence that the study of history had on their biographical subjects. The title is taken from Winston Churchill’s reply on Coronation Day 1953 to a young American who had asked him for life advice, to whom he said, “Study history, study history, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.”
