I managed to catch most of the first of the new series of Reith Lectures on Radio 4 this morning as I drove round to Helensburgh.

For those who have not come across the Reith Lectures before,  they are a British institutuion- or perhaps an English institution- despite their connection with the Scottish John Charles Reith, the force behind the creation of an independant BBC.

This is what the Lectures are tagged with-

a series of annual radio lectures on significant contemporary issues, delivered by leading figures from the relevant fields

The current series features political philosophy Professor Michael Sandel– and digs into some of the primary issues facing our political and economic system.

This first one concerned itself with the nature of the free market, and it’s relationship with moral choices.

It chews on the nonsense of carbon trading, and the potential free market responses to the ‘problem’ of refugees.

It was a great piece of radio- of a non-sound bite kind, a rare commodity.

You can listen again here, or it is repeated on Saturday.

The series will continue…