The Conservative Political Action Conference in London, led by Liz Truss, featured a series of uninspiring speakers, contrasting sharply with its vibrant U.S. counterpart.
London, United Kingdom Jul 16, 2026 ALN: Liz Truss has given us all so much in recent years. A mini-budget. A laugh a minute 49 days in office. A new monarch, after the queen decided enough was enough and died two days after Liz began her Airbnb stay in Downing Street. And now she has given us one thing more. She has imported the US Conservative Political Action Conference to the UK.
And like all things Liz, itâs predictably a bit lackluster. In the US, CPAC is a full glitz Trump fest where all the champions of the far right go to strut their stuff and sell their merchandise. In Lizâs hands, itâs an altogether more drab affair with little interest from the audience. A going through the motions by C-list speakers who are well past their sell-by dates and have been saying the same things for years. Everyone would have had more fun and more surprises if the conference had been AI generated. There again, with Liz you can never be too sure.
The venue was the InterContinental hotel â or rather a room in the InterContinental â next to the O2 in south-east London. An odd choice of location as most of the speakers had previously described London as a no-go zone, full of murdering and thieving foreigners. Perhaps we should be saluting them for their bravery. Mind you, everyone appeared to have made it to the hotel without having their phones stolen or their throats slit. I guess they just got lucky. I havenât dared to leave my house in years.
There were about 500 seats laid out in the auditorium as the conference began. Less than 200 were occupied. So maybe there had been a few casualties on the journey in. There again, there were at least 19 people watching on the live YouTube stream. So swings and roundabouts. The American chair, Mike Schlapp, made the introductions. We were all doing Godâs work, he insisted. Which was odd as the God I was told about in school preached a gospel of loving thy neighbour. Mike, though, appeared to be very picky about which of his neighbours he chose to love.
Mike also took a pop at the UK for being a failing country with failing prime ministers. Liz Truss, who also identified as a chair, didnât appear to notice what had sounded like a pointed dig at her. It left you wondering if she is so damaged she has even forgotten her own time as prime minister. A massive mental block caused by profound PTSD. She isnât the only one. Mind you, it is quite possible she imagines herself to still be in office. Two later speakers both referred to her as if she was still the prime minister. Perhaps thatâs what Lizâs carers had recommended they say. Or we could just be in an alternate reality. CPAC certainly felt that way.
The first main speaker was Toby Young. A choice of opener that was clearly intended to lower expectations for everything that followed. Because if Toby is one of your star turns, then you might as well pack up and go home. Toby introduced himself as the general secretary of the Free Speech Union. A sentence steeped in irony. Because, much to the countryâs disappointment, nobody has ever stopped Toby from talking about anything. If only he had been. Itâs his wife and kids I feel sorry for. Having to listen to him bore for Britain, day in, day out. But Toby didnât want to talk about free speech. He would rather talk about how, though he believes in climate change, he doesnât believe in it very much. A bad move with this crowd, as climate denial is a central CPAC belief.
Next up was the shadow business secretary, Andrew Griffith. Quite what Kemi Badenoch was thinking by allowing a member of the shadow cabinet to share a platform with some of the far-right headbangers due to speak over the next few days, is anyoneâs guess. I know she wants the Tories to appear less Lib Dem and more deranged, but there have to be limits. Andy treated the event as if he was at a slightly risque fringe meeting at the Tory conference and had come and gone before anyone had really noticed he was there. The very faintest ripple of applause, mainly for leaving the stage.
Matt Goodwin was introduced as a celebrated academic when failed would have been a more accurate adjective. Now reinvented as a hard-right rent-a-gob who will say and do anything for attention. The manchild of our times. Still, he was clearly a favourite of the tens of people in the auditorium.
He gave them civilisational erasure. He talked about his best friend, Lucy Connolly, who had been jailed for inciting people to set fire to refugee hotels. Matt clearly hasnât got the memo that itâs a good thing that people who make death threats against his Reform boss, Nigel Farage, are being arrested. Free speech has its limits. He insisted that the Gorton and Denton byelection had been rigged. Not that voters had hated him on sight. Not least because it saved time that way.
It was all downhill from there for the rest of the morning. We had a panel discussion with David Starkey who has turned into a sad stopped clock. Unable to understand why the world has left him behind. Then we got two blokes, Mike and Steve, who were like two pub bores that had been in an overnight lock-in. Everything was the fault of the deep state. HS2? The deep state. England losing to Argentina? The deep state. One for the conspiracy theorists in the crowd.
The morning ended with Iain Duncan Smith realising he had made a huge mistake in agreeing to talk and trying to get out while he was still young enough. Then a little more Liz as she unveiled her latest venture, the Atlantic Strategy Institute, which will achieve nothing but make her feel a little bit less useless. It was a long afternoon that stretched ahead. On Friday, we will get Nigel, providing he can be sure heâs being paid enough. Truly a conference for the ages.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is a prominent event in the United States, known for showcasing conservative ideologies and providing a platform for right-wing speakers, including prominent figures in the Republican Party. The event has often been associated with the Trump era, where the former president's influence has shaped the tone and direction of discussions. In recent years, CPAC has expanded its reach globally, with events being held in various countries, including Japan and Australia. The decision to host CPAC in the UK under Liz Truss's leadership reflects an attempt to unify conservative movements across the Atlantic, although the reception of this particular event suggests that it may not have resonated with the UK audience as intended.
Truss's tenure as Prime Minister was notably brief, lasting only 49 days, a period marked by economic turmoil and political instability. Her leadership was characterized by a controversial mini-budget that aimed to implement tax cuts but ultimately led to market chaos and a loss of confidence among investors. This backdrop of her political career adds layers of complexity to the CPAC event, as it raises questions about her current standing within the party and her ability to galvanize support among conservatives.
The lackluster turnout and engagement at CPAC UK may signal deeper issues within the Conservative Party, particularly regarding its direction and appeal to the electorate. As the party grapples with internal divisions and a shifting political landscape, events like CPAC serve as a litmus test for the party's cohesion and the resonance of its messaging. The presence of speakers from various factions within the party, including those with far-right leanings, could reflect ongoing struggles over ideological purity and voter alignment.
Moreover, the event's reception may influence future party strategies. If the Conservative Party seeks to regain public trust and electoral support, it may need to reassess its approach to outreach and engagement with both traditional voters and younger demographics. The disconnect observed at CPAC UK could prompt party leaders to rethink their messaging and consider more inclusive and diverse platforms that resonate with a broader audience.
In summary, the CPAC UK event hosted by Liz Truss has been met with a tepid response, characterized by low attendance and a lineup of speakers that failed to ignite enthusiasm. The context of Truss's troubled premiership and the current state of the Conservative Party adds layers of complexity to this event, raising questions about the party's future direction and its ability to connect with voters. As political dynamics continue to evolve, the implications of this conference may reverberate throughout the Conservative Party, prompting a reevaluation of strategies and priorities in the face of changing public sentiment.
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