Sir Jeremy Hunt, former Chancellor, talks about Britain's economy and his book 'Can We Be Rich Again?' in conversation with Ian Skye at the Derby Book Festival.
Sir Jeremy Hunt will be at QUAD on Friday 13 November, part of the autumn programme for the Derby Book Festival. He'll be in conversation with BBC Radio presenter and journalist Ian Skye, talking through the ideas in his new book, Can We Be Rich Again?.
It's a title that asks a pretty direct question, and the book is Hunt's answer to it. He served as Chancellor during one of Britain's recent economic shocks, and he argues that he successfully steered the economy out of both inflation and recession. From there, he pushes back against the pessimism that's been around the UK economy for a while and puts forward a case for optimism instead.
That optimism isn't just a feeling; he backs it up with an eight-point programme. The points range from relaxing planning rules to kick-starting oil and gas production, so there's a fair bit of ground to cover. He also points to the strengths he believes the country still holds: the third largest technology ecosystem in the world, a huge financial services sector, globally admired universities, and respected institutions. The talk will be a chance to hear him walk through those points and the thinking behind them.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Derby and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
Can We Be Rich Again? was named one of The Telegraph's Best Summer Books 2026, and this conversation is part of the Derby Book Festival's autumn line-up. The session will be filmed and made available as a digital recording after the Festival, so if you can't make it in person, you'll still be able to catch it later. Tickets are £12, and it runs from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS.
