# Sir Sajid Javid – Lessons From the Front Bench (Part One)

An episode of [Intelligence Squared](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/708371900), 6 Feb 2026, 38 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6ae4779753fe55e775c1ac6c/e/af70c9cc-034e-11f1-9771-33decb5662e2/media.mp3

For more than a decade, Sir Sajid Javid was at the heart of power in Britain. First elected in 2010, he rapidly rose to his first cabinet position as Culture Secretary. The son of a bus driver and comprehensive school-educated, he was one of the few cabinet members from a working-class background. He went on to hold several ministerial roles under three different prime ministers including Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. In February 2026 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share lessons from his time in government. Drawing from his new memoir The Colour of Home, he also revealed his story of a childhood marked by poverty and racism, and explored his thoughts on Britain’s multiracial society. ---- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.