Liz Truss has given us a mini-budget, a laugh-a-minute 49 days in office, a new monarch, and now she has imported the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to the UK. But like all things Truss, it's predictably underwhelming. In the US, CPAC is a glitzy Trump fest where far-right champions strut their stuff and sell merch. In Truss's hands, it's a drab affair with little audience interest, featuring C-list speakers past their sell-by dates saying the same things for years.
Venue and Attendance
The venue was a room in the InterContinental hotel next to the O2 in south-east London, an odd choice given many speakers previously described London as a no-go zone. About 500 seats were laid out, but fewer than 200 were occupied, with only 19 watching on YouTube. American chair Mike Schlapp introduced the event, insisting attendees were doing God's work, though he took a pop at the UK for being a failing country with failing prime ministers. Truss, who also identified as a chair, didn't appear to notice the pointed dig.
Speakers and Content
Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, opened the conference, lowering expectations. Despite his role, he chose to talk about climate change, stating he believes in it but not very much—a bad move with climate denial as a central CPAC belief. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith followed, treating the event like a fringe meeting at the Tory conference, leaving to faint applause. Matt Goodwin, introduced as a celebrated academic but now a hard-right rent-a-gob, spoke about civilisational erasure and claimed the Gorton and Denton byelection was rigged. He referenced Lucy Connolly, jailed for inciting attacks on refugee hotels, noting free speech has limits.
Panels and Conspiracy Theories
A panel discussion featured David Starkey, described as a sad stopped clock unable to understand why the world has left him behind. Then two men, Mike and Steve, blamed everything on the deep state, from HS2 to England losing to Argentina. Iain Duncan Smith realized his mistake in agreeing to talk and tried to exit quickly. Truss unveiled her latest venture, the Atlantic Strategy Institute, which will likely achieve nothing but make her feel less useless. The morning ended, leaving a long afternoon ahead. On Friday, Nigel Farage is expected, provided he's paid enough.
