Who broke Britain? Welcome to The i Paper’s opinion series in which experts and writers debate the issues that concern them about modern Britain. • Martin Lewis: the money-saving expert… who accidentally cost Britons billions• The American woman who ripped the heart out of Cadbury• George Osborne: the prince of austerity who fuelled our raging housing crisis

Who broke Britain? Welcome to The i Paper’s opinion series in which experts and writers debate the issues that concern them about modern Britain.

• Martin Lewis: the money-saving expert… who accidentally cost Britons billions• The American woman who ripped the heart out of Cadbury• George Osborne: the prince of austerity who fuelled our raging housing crisis

In many ways, Sir John Lubbock should be greatly admired. This Victorian Liberal politician and scientist was born into the wealth of a banking family and devoted his life to improving the nation’s knowledge and happiness. “Most of us can make this world a palace or a prison,” Lubbock wrote. He did more than most to nudge it towards the former.

A neighbour and friend of Charles Darwin, Lubbock made valuable observations about insects (he kept a pet wasp for several months), was an archaeologist who coined the words Neolithic and Palaeolithic and served as vice president of the Royal Society. He also sought to widen literacy and helped to pass the Public Libraries Act in 1892. “A library is… a haven,” he wrote. “Rich and poor can enjoy it equally for here, at least, wealth gives no advantage.” He took this mission for education to........

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