The Quaker Socialists aimed from the beginning, when first formed in 1898, to have a lecture at the time of Yearly Meeting. As well as introducing Quaker ideas to Socialists through public lectures, they wanted to introduce Socialist ideas to Quakers. YM was the time when Quakers came together from all over the country. The lectures nearly always took place at the beginning of YM but occasionally took place near the end, for they were never part of Yearly Meeting business and in those days there was no Swarthmore Lecture. They were not named ‘Salter Lectures’ until 1996, the year after the 50th anniversary events that marked Dr Salter’s death. By keeping the title short, as just ‘Salter’, the lectures were able to celebrate the life not just of Alfred Salter but of his equally well known wife, Ada. Over the years the Salter Lectures have gained a reputation for high quality and for their array of distinguished speakers, usually either MPs or academic authors (though one was an Inspector of Prisons), and they have often attracted a live audience of over 400. See: Ada and Alfred Salter.
2023 Rupert Read
“The Horrible, Wonderful Truth about Climate”
2022 Ruth Cadbury
“Truth and Integrity in Politics“
2021 Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge
“Quaker values in South Africa’s Struggle“
- Watch lecture with Q and A
- Read text
___________________________________________________
2020 No Salter Lecture (because of the epidemic).
____________________________________________________
2019 Catherine West
“Solutions for a Divided Society”
2018 Diana Jeater
“Bearing Witness or Bearing Whiteness?: Britain, Africa and Quakers”
2017 Molly Scott Cato MEP
“Brexit, Chilcott, and the role of conscience in public life”
2016 Lynn Morris
“Red Flag over Bermondsey: The Ada Salter Story”
2015 Jude Kirton Darling MEP
“Trade Deals: realistic concerns or rabble-rousing?”
2014 Richard Murphy
“Tax Justice: A Quaker’s Concern”
2013 Ed Mayo
“Raising the sails for when the wind changes”
2012 Danny Dorling
“Inequality and Social Justice: What’s so good about securing greater equality?”
2011 Tony Benn
“More Time for Politics”
2010 Roy Hattersley
“Equality, fairness and faith”
2009 Richard Wilkinson
“Dysfunctional Societies – Why Inequality Matters”
___________________________________________________________________________
2008 Anne Owers
“The Work of the Prison Inspectorate”
________________________________________________________________________________________
2007 Dave Feickert
“A Sustainable Future for the Planet – An International Trade Union Perspective”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2006 Phil Shiner
“The Iraq War and Occupation: What is at Stake for Civil Society?”
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2005 Brian Philips
“Without a Vision, the People Perish. What is our Vision?“
____________________________________________________________________________________________
2004 Jonathan Dale
“Where is our Social Testimony Now?“
____________________________________________________________________________________________
2003 Cliff Marrs
“Global Idolatry and the Economics of Sacrifice“
_____________________________________________________________________________________________-
2002 Tony Bunyan
“The War on Freedom and Democracy“
______________________________________________________________________________________________
2001 Ian Flintoff
“Dumbing Down the Soul“
______________________________________________________________________________________________
2000 Edouard Dommen
“What is Education For?“
_______________________________________________________________________________________________-
1999 Peter Challen
“The Economics of Friendship“
________________________________________________________________________________________________
1998 Jeremy Corbyn and Barry Coates
“Socialism, Injustice and Poverty“
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
1997 No Salter Lecture (because of the General Election)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
1996 Tony Benn
“The Alfred Salter Memorial Lecture“
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Quaker Socialist Society 