Phillip Blond

Political thinker, Anglican theologian, and director of think tank ResPublica, Phillip Blond is a keynote speaker and the architect of 'Red Toryism', which has made him one of the Conservative leader's inner circle.

Born in Liverpool, Phillip studied philosophy and politics at the University of Hull, continental philosophy at the University of Warwick, and theology at Peterhouse at the University of Cambridge. At Peterhouse, he was a student of John Milbank, founder of the theological movement Radical Orthodoxy and a noted critic of liberalism, philosophically understood.

Before entering politics and public policy he was a senior lecturer in theology and philosophy at the Universities of Exeter and Cumbria.

Phillip gained prominence from a cover story in Prospect magazine February 2009 with his essay on Red Toryism, which proposed a radical communitarian traditionalist conservatism that inveighed against both state and market monopoly. According to Blond, these two large-scale realities, while usually spoken of as diametrically opposed, are in reality the two sides of the same coin.

An internationally recognized political thinker and social and economic commentator, who founded ResPublica in 2009, Phillip's ideas have strongly influenced the agenda around devolution and public services, and have helped to redefine British and international politics.

Phillip’s recent reports, such as Restoring Britain’s City States: Devolution, public service reform and local economic growth (2015), The Missing Multipliers: Devolution to Britain’s Key Cities (2015), and Devo Max – Devo Manc: Place-based public services (2014), have driven policy change in city deals and health devolution.

Further papers he has authored include 'The Ownership State', 'Asset Building for Children'  and 'To Buy, To Bid, To Build: Community Rights for an Asset Owning Democracy'.

In 2010, The Telegraph called Phillip "a driving force behind David Cameron's 'Big Society' agenda."

He has written extensively in the British press including The Guardian, The Observer, The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Prospect and the New Statesman. He is a frequent broadcaster – appearing on the BBC and Sky as well as foreign media outlets.

Phillip’s ideas have attracted attention both nationally and internationally and he speaks all over the world on the idea of a new economic and social politics based around free association and group formation.