Thomas Paine Society UK

Paul Myles at The Headstrong Club 9th September 2022

Paul gave a talk at the Headstrong Club in Lewes about the story of how Thomas Paine came to the attention of George Lewis Scott, a commissioner of Excise, which resulted in Paine penning the Case of the Officers of Excise.

The meeting was very well attended, attracting a full audience, on the day after Queen Elizabeth II died.

The evening in two parts, the first the talk with questions, the second a debate set up by Paul, what do we do now?

Would we prefer a slimmed down monarchy, or should we press for a republican state?

There was a very lively debate about these issues, with some heavyweight thinkers in the room. Some surprising revelations from someone who has fought the selloff of NHS data, an activist, who's in depth personal experience showed that the House of Lords was a reliable source of good common sense and stability, with the Commons unstable at the moment.

Others argued that we are already a republic ( Paine noted this when he was in Lewes) and that our constitution was a delicate balance that works better than most systems. The republicans in the room had their pretty unambiguous position made clear.

All in all - a good night- Tom would have approved!