From early morning keynotes to late-afternoon firesides, the conversation circled one key question: how do we go from entrenching problems to enabling solutions? And what’s the role of government, business, media, and each of us, in making that happen?
At The Wilful Group, we’ve been proud to act as official communications partner for Anthropy25. Today saw the team secure broadcast coverage with founder and chairman John O’Brien MBE airing on BBC Spotlight, as well as a second BBC interview secured with the team on site. More to follow on that over the next couple of days!
A call to reset: Kemi Badenoch opens Day Two
The day began with a keynote from Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, whose address combined challenge and critique with a call for economic renewal. She focused on the need to create hope and opportunity for young people, questioning whether the systems in place today are building towards a future they’ll want to inherit, or one they’ll move away from.
Framing growth as something government should enable rather than control, she described an environment where regulation and bureaucracy were too often standing in the way of progress. Her remarks on the role of taxation, business contribution and policymaking sparked debate throughout the day, particularly her assertion that the UK’s economic challenges stem not from a lack of resource, but from a failure to be honest about where value truly comes from, and who is best placed to deliver it.
She also reflected on the growing challenge of tribalism, echo chambers, and the breakdown of consensus politics, noting that meaningful progress will require collective responsibility and the courage to voice hard truths, even when they’re unpopular.
The session ended with a fantastic question from Orna NiChionna, Chair of the Eden Project, who asked Badenoch to clarify the basis for her decision to scale back the UK’s net zero commitments, particularly her claim that meeting the 2050 target would “bankrupt the country.” The question drew a round of applause from the audience.
In a detailed response, Badenoch argued that the UK’s deindustrialisation, loss of manufacturing capacity, and lack of government support for sectors like electric vehicles were part of a broader structural challenge. “We must be idealistic, but also realistic,” she said, cautioning against setting targets without a clear path to delivery. She closed on a stark note: “Pretending something is working when it isn’t doesn’t help anyone. Announcing net zero by 2050 without a plan makes it feel abstract.”
Governance in a changing world: the role of the Non-Executive
Later in the day, Anthropy25 turned its attention to the boardroom, and how governance must adapt to a world defined by uncertainty, climate risk and cultural transformation. The session, moderated by our Co-Founder Narda Shirley, explored the evolving influence of non-executive directors and the unique opportunity they have to drive values-based change at leadership level.
The panel brought together experienced voices from across sectors, including Rita Clifton CBE (Deputy Chair, John Lewis Partnership), Steve Holliday (Chair, CityFibre and Zenobe), Vicky Moffatt (CEO, Chapter Zero), and Vivienne Artz (Chief Executive, FTSE Women Leaders Review), who reflected on what it means to serve in a non-executive capacity today.
There was clear consensus that oversight alone is no longer enough. As Steve Holliday put it, “It’s not just about who’s around the table, it’s what they bring.” Boards are expected to move from compliance to culture, stepping into roles as mentors and strategic partners, helping to shape not just governance, but long-term direction.
The conversation explored the shifting role of NEDs in areas such as climate resilience, stakeholder capitalism, and inclusive leadership. Vicky Moffatt noted that the most engaged voices on climate are now often coming from board chairs, signalling a deeper shift in how sustainability is being prioritised at the top. Meanwhile, Vivienne Artz reflected on representation at the highest levels, sharing that the UK now sits just behind France with 43.5% women on FTSE boards and emphasised that this has been achieved without quotas: “It’s a business-led and voluntary exercise and it’s working.”
There was also honest discussion around the tension between values and performance. As Rita Clifton pointed out, “This is not about wheel-spinning with DE&I labels it’s about creating environments where people feel valued and make a real contribution, because that’s when the outcomes change.”
Together, the panel offered a clear message: the role of the board is evolving and those who fail to adapt risk not just irrelevance, but real commercial vulnerability.
Mental health, media and the scroll that never ends
And then it was time for our panel! We hosted a session exploring the intersection of social media, mental health and digital content consumption, titled “How Do We Break the Doom Scroll for Positive Change?”
Chaired by Wilful Co-Founder Narda Shirley, the panel featured Sarah Gordon (Visiting Professor, LSE Grantham Institute), Dr Amrit-Kaur Purba (Senior Research Associate, University of Cambridge), Kamilah McInnis (BBC presenter and mental health advocate), and Jim Morrison (founder of Nourish).
Jim Morrison opened the discussion with a memorable analogy: “It’s an unhealthy diet of digital sugar, bad for our mental health.” He likened the current media landscape to ultra-processed food, designed more to capture attention than provide meaningful value. “We need alternatives that are balanced, nuanced, and work on a different economic model.”
Sarah Gordon reflected on the wider media landscape, noting that “media companies are not doing enough” and that “UK’s children are not all alike, so UK media isn’t alike either.” She highlighted the contrast in regulation between traditional and digital platforms, pointing out that “FT is regulated, very different to Facebook.” Her comments underlined the need for more responsible platform behaviour and more nuanced approaches to supporting young people online.
Dr Amrit-Kaur Purba added essential nuance, noting there’s no single evidence-based threshold for screen time: “Everyone’s experience is different, age, mental health, the type of content consumed, all of it matters.” She spoke about the Smart Data Donation Service as a way to responsibly open up platform data to researchers.
Kamilah McInnis shared her perspective as a journalist and broadcaster, noting the rise in news avoidance, particularly among younger audiences. “There’s room for the hard stuff,” she said, “but we also need to balance that with hope.” She pointed to BBC Upbeat and slower, solutions-focused media as signs that more positive models are possible. “It’s not about ignoring reality, it’s about curating better habits.”
The session offered a grounded and practical exploration of how content ecosystems affect wellbeing and how public, private and personal choices all have a part to play in reshaping them. But we still have the question, how do we meet young people where they are without adding to the problem?
In conversation with Will Hutton: renewal, realism and responsibility
The day ended with a fireside conversation between renowned economist and commentator Will Hutton and Nikki Francis-Jones, our Managing Director.
Hutton was characteristically direct. “It’s dark,” he said. “I’m phenomenally angry about the state of our country. That’s the risk.” But alongside frustration, there was hope, captured in a simple metaphor. “I build Lego with my grandchildren,” he shared. “All the bits of the Lego set are there. What’s missing is the vibrant determination to marshal them and put them together.”
He called on business and government alike to stop talking the UK down. “Our corporates don’t do project venturism. They don’t do any project venturism. We want our financial players to lean into the home backyard,” he said, highlighting a lack of ambition in procurement and investment at a national level.
Responding to Kemi Badenoch’s earlier comments on net zero, Hutton didn’t mince his words. “It’s outrageous for Kemi to come here and say it’s not economically viable.” He pointed to China’s clean energy strategy as evidence of the opposite. “What are the three most dynamic parts of China’s economy today? Solar panels, EV batteries, and electrifying their economy. The most expensive thing you can do now is burn fossil fuel.”
He closed with a rallying call to action: “We have to take them all on. Argue your head off. That’s democracy. Do the best we can while we’re in power to remove the cause of rot and discontent.”
Looking ahead
If Day One introduced new questions, Day Two began to test answers, with honesty, disagreement, and, crucially, shared ground. The conversations ranged from macroeconomic vision to the personal experience of social media fatigue, but the underlying message was consistent: whatever change is coming, it’s businesses who will drive it, not policies alone.
We’ll be back tomorrow with reflections from the final day!
