Darren Grimes21 August 2021

What The Right Is Getting Wrong - Darren Grimes - #361

0Frameworks

12Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster06:00

Myth: Young Conservatives Don't Exist

Grimes challenges the assumption that young, working-class, or LGBTQ+ people must align with the left, arguing that conservatism is unfairly stigmatized and dismissed in cultural discourse.

Young, gay, working-class conservatives are often seen as betraying their identity groups.
There's deep cultural contempt for those who break from expected political norms.
He attributes this to snobbery and a belief that certain identities must vote left.

“There's an assumption that we're one homogenous mass... when that's complete nonsense.”
Darren Grimes · 07:20

#identity-politics#conservatism#youth

Hot Take· 3

Hot Take15:00

Green Policies Are Hurting the Working Class

Grimes criticizes current environmental policies for disproportionately impacting working-class communities through higher energy costs and job losses, calling them virtue signaling.

Net zero targets risk sacrificing working-class jobs in industries like steel and cement.
UK emissions are only 1% globally, making drastic domestic cuts ineffective.
He calls green policies 'virtue signaling' that hurt ordinary people.

“We are what one percent of global CO2 emissions... and Germany's still pumping like you wouldn't believe.”
Darren Grimes · 16:10

#climate-change#working-class#energy-policy

Hot Take29:00

Politics Has No Place in Sport

Grimes criticizes athletes using platforms like the Olympics or football for political messaging, arguing it distracts from athletic achievement.

Athletes are not expected to be political philosophers.
Political gestures, like BLM fists, often serve branding over substance.
Sport should focus on performance, not ideology.

“They're good because they're athletes, not supposed to be insights for sense-making at level 1000.”
Darren Grimes · 29:40

#sports#politics#blm

Hot Take71:00

Middle-Class Guilt Is Driving Woke Culture

Grimes argues that much of progressive activism stems from middle-class guilt, leading to condescending policies that ignore working-class realities.

Middle-class liberals often feel guilt over privilege.
This guilt manifests as paternalistic, top-down social engineering.
Such attitudes alienate working-class communities who value agency.

“Most problems are down to middle-class liberals who feel guilty.”
Darren Grimes · 71:50

#wokeness#class#political-culture

Explainer· 1

Explainer00:30

Why Brexit Still Gets Blamed Despite Bigger Crises

Darren Grimes explains that despite global issues like the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, Brexit remains a scapegoat on social media, particularly Twitter, which he describes as a 'cesspit' of ongoing political fixation.

Brexit continues to be blamed even amid larger global crises like the pandemic.
Twitter drives much of the ongoing narrative, despite low UK user penetration.
The media and online discourse keep Brexit central, regardless of other pressing issues.

“Brexit gets the blame... it's just the way things work on Twitter.”
Darren Grimes · 00:58

#brexit#media-narrative#social-media

Story· 4

Story01:30

How Darren Started a Brexit Campaign for Young People

Grimes shares how, as a university student in Brighton, he launched the 'Be Leave' campaign to present a liberal-minded, youth-focused case for Brexit, feeling younger voters were being left out of the conversation.

Founded 'Be Leave' in 2015 to appeal to younger, liberal-minded voters.
Believed there were valid classical liberal arguments for leaving the EU.
Felt excluded by the pro-EU stance of the Liberal Democrats, which led to his departure.

“I set up a campaign called Be Leave... to cater to a younger audience.”
Darren Grimes · 01:50

#brexit#youth-politics#political-campaign

Story09:30

Why Conservative Speakers Get Cancelled at Universities

Grimes describes how conservative speakers, even elected MPs, are routinely disinvited from universities due to student protests, limiting exposure to diverse political views.

Conservative MPs are often disinvited from university events after student backlash.
This creates an echo chamber where young people aren't exposed to right-leaning ideas.
He sees this as a major reason for the lack of conservative presence in academia.

“You cannot hear from a democratically elected representative in a university?”
Darren Grimes · 10:20

#free-speech#universities#conservatism

Story24:00

Whistleblower Report on NHS Gender Clinic

Grimes discusses a BBC exposé on the NHS Tavistock clinic, where whistleblowers revealed children were being fast-tracked to medical intervention without adequate therapy.

Tavistock Clinic faced investigation after whistleblower reports.
Children as young as teens were being pushed toward irreversible medical procedures.
Some parents reportedly preferred a trans outcome over a gay one.

“Kids were saying, 'I just don't like my body,' and parents wanted a trans outcome over a gay one.”
Darren Grimes · 24:50

#gender-identity#nhs#mental-health

Story74:00

The Problem With Private School Entitlement

Grimes reflects on his university experience, noting how some private school students were infantilized and unprepared for real-world challenges.

Some private school students treated university like a holiday.
They lacked resilience and real-world awareness.
This entitlement can carry into positions of influence.

“They hadn't had to fend for themselves... everything felt like a game.”
Darren Grimes · 75:20

#education#class#privilege

Q&A· 2

Q&A26:00

Why J.K. Rowling Worries About Single-Sex Spaces

Grimes defends J.K. Rowling's concerns about self-ID, noting she speaks from experience as a domestic violence survivor who relied on women's refuges.

Rowling expressed concern about self-ID undermining women's safe spaces.
She has personal experience with domestic violence and women's shelters.
Her stance is about protecting vulnerable women and children.

“She said, 'I was a victim of domestic violence... single-sex spaces must be protected.'”
Darren Grimes · 26:40

#j-k-rowling#gender-identity#women-safety

Q&A22:00

Trans Athlete in Olympics: Fairness Concerns

Grimes questions the fairness of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's categories, citing biological differences that persist post-transition.

Biological sex is immutable, affecting strength and performance.
Trans women retain male puberty advantages in sports.
Fairness in competition is compromised when biology is ignored.

“Biological sex is an immutable fact... I still have more strength than a female counterpart.”
Darren Grimes · 30:50

#trans-athletes#olympics#sports-fairness

Takeaway· 1

Takeaway20:00

Tradition Is a Set of Forgotten Solutions

Grimes quotes Donald Kingsbury: 'Tradition is a set of solutions for which we have forgotten the problems,' emphasizing that discarding tradition often brings back old problems worse than before.

Tradition preserves hard-won solutions to past societal problems.
Discarding tradition without understanding its purpose leads to regression.
Incremental change is wiser than radical upheaval.

“Tradition is a set of solutions for which we have forgotten the problems.”
Darren Grimes · 20:10

#tradition#conservatism#political-philosophy