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person1971–

Daniel Hannan

Disciplines:
britain
politics
uk/brexit
uk/eu

Summary

British politician and writer — former MEP — one of the primary intellectual architects of Brexit — author of Inventing Freedom (on how English-speaking peoples created ordered liberty) — created the viral 'devalued Prime Minister' speech against Gordon Brown (YouTube, 2009).

Core Contribution

Creates the Anglosphere argument for Brexit — Hannan's Inventing Freedom thesis (that liberty is a specifically English-speaking invention exported to the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and others) provided the intellectual framework for a post-EU British identity based on the Anglosphere rather than European integration.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • His 2009 speech to the EU Parliament denouncing Gordon Brown went viral on YouTube before politicians understood YouTube — the 3-minute 'devalued prime minister' speech was viewed millions of times and established a model of political communication bypassing traditional media that Brexit subsequently used
  • Argues consistently that the common law tradition (as opposed to Roman/Napoleonic law) is the key institutional explanation for why English-speaking countries have more liberty and prosperity than others — a grand thesis that he has maintained for 25 years

Notable Works & Achievements

The New Road to Serfdom

Inventing Freedom

What Next

How We Invented Freedom and Why It Matters

Historical Influences

Edmund Burke F.A. Hayek

Intellectual Lineage

Lima, PeruOxford Conservative MEPHouse of Lords

Contemporaries & Peers

Nigel Farage Boris Johnson Douglas Carswell

Minds Influenced

Brexit movement

Intellectual Posterity

BrexitInventing Freedom Gordon Brown speech

Discussing

Daniel Hannan

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