Richard D North, 61, is a writer, broadcaster and commentator. He is media fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs, the free market think tank, and fellow of the Social Affairs Unit, the home of conservative cultural thought.

He edits livingissues.com, a site which helps young people grasp 21st Century issues.

RDN writes on the arts for the webreview at www.socialaffairsunit.org

RDN’s recent books include “Scrap the BBC!”: Ten years to set broadcasting free (SAU, 2007); Mr Blair’s Messiah Politics: Ten years of inspirational government, 1997-2007 (SAU, 2007); Rich Is Beautiful: A very personal defence of Mass Affluence (SAU, 2005) and pamphlets on risk, the House of Lords, stag hunting and more.

In the late 80's he was the Independent's (and then the Sunday Times') environment and Third World Development writer, whose upbeat, rather anti-green book Life On a Modern PLanet: A manifesto for progress (Manchester University Press, 1995) marked 25 years' obsession with the topics.

He quite often appears on Today, Newsnight, the Jeremy Vine Show, Channel 4 News, Sky TV, and the Moral Maze as a defender of capitalism, globalisation, representative Democracy and any other topic where the soft left liberal green orthodoxy needs bashing.

He is an experienced (and if required exuberant and even abrasive) public speaker.