A recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas 2018 festival at the Barbican on Sunday 14 October, produced in partnership with Diageo (full details here).

Almost every aspect of life in the UK is heavily regulated, from housing and transport to food and energy. Public health authorities have extended the reach of government intervention into our personal consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, salt, sugar and fat. While many critics of the EU look forward to Brexit as a means of cutting regulation, most of the ‘red tape’ and ‘nanny state’ rules we face are homegrown. Why has Britain become such an intensively regulated society? Is state intrusion the price we must pay to keep big business in check – or does it simply mean higher costs and more limits on choice?

ROB KILLICK

CEO, Clerkswell; author, The UK After The Recession

MARK LITTLEWOOD

Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs

DAN MOBLEY

global corporate relations director, Diageo

JO-ANNE NADLER

commentator; author, Too Nice to be a Tory