Truss brings US CPAC to London as Tory frontbencher attends
Liz Truss has imported the American Conservative Political Action Conference to London, drawing a shadow cabinet minister to a fringe event that highlights the growing influence of US right-wing politics on the UK opposition.
Liz Truss has brought the American Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to London, using the event to launch her new Atlantic Strategy Institute. The gathering at the InterContinental hotel next to the O2 marked the first major attempt to transplant the US conservative phenomenon to British soil.
Despite the transatlantic ambitions, the event drew a muted response. Of the roughly 500 seats laid out in the auditorium, fewer than 200 were occupied, with an additional 19 viewers watching on a live YouTube stream.
The conference highlighted the shifting boundaries of British conservative politics. American CPAC chair Mike Schlapp opened the event by describing the UK as a "failing country with failing prime ministers." He made the remark while Truss, who served as prime minister for 49 days, was also identifying as a chair on stage.
The most significant political signal came from the mainstream opposition. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, addressed the audience. His decision to share a platform with far-right speakers scheduled over the weekend suggests a strategic calculation by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to court the party's populist wing.
Fringe figures dominate agenda
The remainder of the morning was dominated by activists and commentators operating outside traditional political norms. Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, downplayed climate change, a stance that clashed with the central CPAC belief in climate denial.
Academic-turned-commentator Matt Goodwin spoke of "civilisational erasure." He defended Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for inciting people to set fire to refugee hotels. Goodwin also insisted the Gorton and Denton byelections had been rigged.
The session featured historian David Starkey and a panel blaming a "deep state" conspiracy for government infrastructure projects like HS2 and even English sporting defeats. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith also spoke. Nigel Farage is scheduled to appear on Friday.
For European observers, the London CPAC illustrates the ongoing fragmentation of the UK's political landscape. Truss’s new institute and the presence of a shadow cabinet minister confirm that US-style conservative rhetoric is now an established part of British public life.
