Archive for February, 2017

When:  Thursday, September 21st 2016, 7.30 – 11.00 PM
Where: The Vines, 81 Lime St, Liverpool

Tamasin Cave

Tamasin Cave will talk about the UK’s £2bn lobbying industry and the tactics they use to bend government to their will: how lobbyists build relationships with government; their manipulation of the media; the way that they use academics, scientists, think-tanks, front groups and others to spread their messages; and their attacks on opposition groups. She will talk about how the private healthcare industry has lobbied to open up the NHS to more private operators – and how schools are going the same way; how energy companies have hired a small army of lobbyists to persuade government and local communities to support fracking; how the ‘revolving door’ works to support the arms industry; and more.

Tamasin is a writer, campaigner and commentator. Her new book, A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics in Britain, co-authored by Andy Rowell, shines a light into one of the darkest and least-understood corners of our political culture: the UK’s £2 billion commercial lobbying industry. She is a director of Spinwatch, which investigates corporate PR and lobbying, as well as government spin. Since 2007, she has also led the campaign for transparency regulations for lobbyists.

Our speaker events have wheelchair access, via a portable ramp which can be installed on-demand. If possible, please let us know you’re coming through contact@merseysideskeptics.org.uk so we can make sure the ramp is ready.

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When:  Thursday, May 18th 2016, 7.30 – 11.00 PM
Where: The Vines, 81 Lime St, Liverpool

Professor Karen Douglas

Was 9/11 an inside job? Is climate change a hoax? Was Princess Diana murdered? Millions of people appear to think so, disbelieving official explanations for significant events in favour of alternative accounts that are often called ‘conspiracy theories’. In recent years, psychologists have begun to investigate what makes conspiracy theories appealing to so many people. In this talk, Prof. Karen Douglas will broadly overview what psychologists have found out so far, and will discuss some of her own findings on the causes and consequences of belief in conspiracy theories.

Karen Douglas is a Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent. In addition to conducting work on the psychology of conspiracy theories, she is involved in projects examining sexism in language, the influence of sexist ideology on attitudes toward pregnant women, and the psychology of internet behaviour.

Our speaker events have wheelchair access, via a portable ramp which can be installed on-demand. If possible, please let us know you’re coming through contact@merseysideskeptics.org.uk so we can make sure the ramp is ready.

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• RSVP via Email »