The Annual Harold Wilson Lecture 2026

The lecture is framed by two anniversaries and will reflect on continuity and change in British politics: Labour’s 1966 victory under Harold Wilson and the centenary of the 1926 General Strike. It will explore Wilson’s leadership as a statesman, political navigator and Yorkshire radical, shaped by education, nonconformity and an instinctive understanding of the electorate. The lecture will examine the tensions between politics and economics, particularly Wilson’s struggles with Treasury orthodoxy, international pressures and institutional reform, alongside the profound social changes of the 1960s. Drawing parallels between the “white hot heat” of technological change then and the rise of artificial intelligence now, it will reflect on Labour’s enduring challenges, the art of political leadership, and the enduring purpose of public service.

Speaker - The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett

The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett is a distinguished British politician with a long and influential career in public service.

He became a Labour councillor in his native Sheffield at the age of 22 and went on to serve as Leader of Sheffield City Council during the 1980s. In 1987, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside, a seat he held for 28 years.

Lord Blunkett served as a senior member of Tony Blair’s Cabinet, holding a number of key Secretary of State roles. His responsibilities included serving as Home Secretary, where his remit covered counter-terrorism, immigration, and justice. He also served as Secretary of State for Education and Employment, overseeing education and skills from early years and schooling through to post-16 education, apprenticeships, higher education, and equal opportunities. As Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, his portfolio included retirement income, welfare benefits, Jobcentre Plus, and work programmes.

In 2015, he was awarded a peerage in the Dissolution Honours List, taking the title Lord Blunkett of Brightside and Hillsborough in the City of Sheffield. That same year, he was appointed Professor of Politics in Practice at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Politics and became Chair of the Board of the University of Law (formerly the College of Law), based in London.

Lord Blunkett originally studied for a teaching qualification at the University of Huddersfield in the 1970s and returned to the University in 2017 to receive an Honorary Doctorate.

The event is free to attend but you must register your attendance

CREDIT: Photo of Sir David Blunkett by Joshua Bratt

Please note that parking infomation and tariffs for the University and surrounding area can be found here - https://www.hud.ac.uk/about/maps/carparking/

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