Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, delivered a lecture entitled ‘What does the failure of the Lords Bill 2012 tell us about the British Constitution?’ Dr Norman graduated in classics from Merton College and twelve years later continued on to University College London, where he earned his MPhil and DPhil in philosophy. He is the author of numerous books in political theory, including a biography of Edmund Burke. His book Compassionate Conservatism (2006) and its successor Compassionate Economics (2008) have had a significant influence on Conservative policy. He led the opposition to the Bill to create an elected House of Lords in the 2010 coalition government from the back benches, and was awarded Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year 2012 and Dod's Backbencher of the Year 2013. He is currently the chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of the House of Commons and has been elected to a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College for 2016-7.
