Deputy Prime Minister speech to Demos and the Open Society Foundation  

First, let me thank Demos and the Open Society Foundation for inviting to me to speak. I can think of no better moment to talk about the open society, and the urgent need to rally to its defence. The values of the open society –  social mobility; political pluralism; civil liberties; democracy; internationalism – are the source of my liberalism. And reflecting on the events of the last year, it is clear to me that they have rarely been more important than they are today. Because we are at a critical, and potentially dangerous, moment - both in the world at large and here in the UK. History teaches that, at times of deep economic uncertainty,  societies become more exposed to the forces of division – populism, insularity, separatism, an ‘us versus them’ mentality. Rather than remaining open to the world and facing the future,...