Intelligence Squared

Sir Sajid Javid – Lessons From the Front Bench (Part Two)

February 8, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Sajid Javid joined the Young Conservatives at university based on intellectual alignment with Thatcherite economics, despite the party's contemporary reputation regarding race, and was once ejected from a party conference for distributing leaflets criticizing the government's ERM policy. 
  • Javid recounted a significant personal conflict where his parents revealed he was already engaged to a cousin through an arrangement made when he and the cousin were children, which he later used to argue in favor of banning first-cousin marriage on health grounds. 
  • Javid believes that while Britain's society has become easier for young people from poor backgrounds like his own, the sustainable way out of poverty remains through an economy that creates jobs accessible to everyone. 

Segments

Podcast Introduction and Context
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:01)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode is Part Two of Sajid Javid’s conversation with Ritila Shah at the Shaw Theatre, focusing on his memoir, ‘The Colour of Home’.
  • Summary: The episode features the second part of a live event with former politician Sajid Javid, moderated by broadcaster Ritila Shah. The discussion centers on Javid’s memoir, ‘The Colour of Home’, and his political career. A content warning is issued for strong language and personal experiences of racism and discrimination.
Joining Young Conservatives
Copied to clipboard!
(00:02:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Sajid Javid joined the Young Conservatives due to intellectual agreement with Thatcherite economics, despite the group’s reputation, and once had a Nelson Mandela picture on his wall.
  • Summary: Javid was drawn to the Conservative Party’s stance on economics, privatization, and free markets, which resonated intellectually with him as an 18-year-old. He admitted feeling like an outsider as the only non-white face at early Conservative events. He also noted disagreeing with certain party politics at the time, including racist elements like the ‘Hang Nelson Mandela’ sentiment.
Political Dissent and Jeremy Paxman
Copied to clipboard!
(00:05:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid was ejected from a 1990 Conservative Party conference for handing out leaflets criticizing the government’s decision to join the ERM, where he also gave his first interview to Jeremy Paxman.
  • Summary: Javid and a friend printed leaflets arguing against the UK joining the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) in 1990, which he considered an economic mistake. A BBC reporter, Jeremy Paxman, interviewed him about the leaflets, marking Javid’s first media appearance. Party stewards subsequently removed him from the conference venue for continuing to distribute the material.
Apartheid Debate and John Bercow
Copied to clipboard!
(00:06:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid supported the motion condemning apartheid at the Exeter debating society, where he encountered John Bercow arguing in defense of apartheid, an encounter he later referenced when Bercow was Speaker following Nelson Mandela’s death.
  • Summary: Javid attended a university debate where the motion was that apartheid in South Africa is immoral, which he supported. He met John Bercow there, who was speaking against the motion in defense of apartheid. Years later, Javid confronted Bercow, then Speaker, about his past views during a tribute debate for Nelson Mandela in Parliament.
Meeting Wife and Arranged Marriage
Copied to clipboard!
(00:08:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Sajid Javid met his wife, Laura, while temping in 1988, but later discovered his parents had already arranged for him to marry a cousin named Almina.
  • Summary: Javid met Laura while both were temping before university, and they began a serious relationship within months. When he informed his father about the relationship, his father insisted he could not marry Laura because he was already engaged to a cousin, Almina, through a promise made by their parents years earlier.
Views on First Cousin Marriage Ban
Copied to clipboard!
(00:14:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid supports banning first-cousin marriage in the UK, citing health concerns observed by a consultant at Birmingham Children’s Hospital where 70% of ICU children were of Pakistani origin due to this practice.
  • Summary: Javid stated he would support a ban on first-cousin marriage on health grounds, referencing a doctor who noted a high proportion of ICU patients of Pakistani origin were affected by this practice. He views the practice as inward-looking in a modern, cohesive society, despite understanding its historical context in isolated communities.
Entry into Ministerial Office
Copied to clipboard!
(00:17:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid’s first ministerial role was Economic Secretary to the Treasury in 2012, where his first official duty involved meeting a Japanese delegation, resulting in an embarrassing mistranslation for both him and the Permanent Secretary.
  • Summary: Javid first served as PPS to George Osborne before being appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury in 2012, only two years after entering Parliament. His first meeting involved a Japanese delegation where the Permanent Secretary’s introduction as ‘Permanent Secretary’ was mistranslated as ’no hope of promotion,’ and Javid’s title was similarly mistranslated as ‘cheap typist’.
Political Leadership Endorsements
Copied to clipboard!
(00:23:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid admitted backing Liz Truss over Rishi Sunak for Prime Minister was a ‘big mistake’ and acknowledged an ‘Anyone But Rishi’ campaign was active during that leadership contest.
  • Summary: Javid confirmed he backed Liz Truss in the leadership contest against Rishi Sunak, calling it a significant error in hindsight given Truss’s subsequent ‘huge disaster’ of a premiership. He suggested there was an active campaign among Boris Johnson’s supporters aimed at preventing Rishi Sunak from winning.
Kemi Badenoch and Party Direction
Copied to clipboard!
(00:24:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid does not believe Kemi Badenoch is building a ‘Reform-adjacent platform’ because she has explicitly ruled out a deal with Nigel Farage, though she must address high immigration levels.
  • Summary: Javid differentiated Kemi Badenoch’s stance from Reform by noting her refusal to deal with Nigel Farage, unlike some other candidates in the leadership race. He agreed that addressing high levels of both legal and illegal migration is a necessary policy focus for all parties. He supports her efforts to set a distinct agenda from both Reform and Labour.
Defections and Party Future
Copied to clipboard!
(00:28:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid views defections from the Conservative Party to Reform as preferable to members staying in the party while not fully supporting it, anticipating Reform will be a major player against either the Conservatives or Labour in the next election.
  • Summary: Javid stated that if members like Zahawi, Jenrick, and Braverman feel Reform is their true home, it is better for them to leave the Conservative Party. He anticipates that Reform will be a significant factor in the upcoming general election, competing directly against one of the two major parties.
Poverty and Opportunity
Copied to clipboard!
(00:30:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Javid believes that for young people today, achieving success is generally easier than it was for him, and the most sustainable path out of poverty is through job creation.
  • Summary: Responding to poverty statistics, Javid asserted that jobs, not extensive welfare, are the only sustainable route out of poverty, requiring a growing economy that creates opportunities for everyone. He expressed the view that it would be easier for a young Sajid Javid growing up today to achieve a similar career trajectory.