Elections 2026: what next for populism, democracy, Starmer and the Union?

The implosion of the two traditional major parties and the widespread success of Reform (and, to a lesser extent, the Greens) have been widely described as historic, a shifting of the tectonic plates of British politics. But what does last Thursday’s vote mean for the present and future? The Academy of Ideas team got together in the wake of Keir Starmer’s ‘speech of a lifetime’ to share their post-election thoughts in a wide-ranging discussion. They also look ahead to two events: The Academy 2026, the Ideas Matter annual residential weekend of lectures and discussions, which this year is titled ‘Hollow Leviathan: the state against the demos’, on 22 & 23 August. The Academy 2026 The Battle of Ideas festival, the UK’s premier festival of discussion and debate, in London on 17 & 18 October. Battle of Ideas festival