Politicians and leading figures from the political right will gather in London next week for a summit at the Olympia exhibition centre. Around 4,000 people from more than 85 countries are expected to attend the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) conference, which runs from June 23 to 25. The event has been dubbed the 'anti-woke Davos.'
What is the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship?
The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) is an international network for right-wing activists and thought leaders. Its aim is to 're-lay the foundations of our civilisation.' Founded in 2023 and based in the UK, Arc is run by Conservative peer Philippa Stroud, with Canadian conservative pundit Jordan Peterson as a co-founder. The network is backed by multi-millionaire donors, including hedge fund manager Sir Paul Marshall, a co-owner of GB News and the Dubai-based investment fund Legatum. In a previous speech, Marshall claimed countries were 'being infected by an ideological zeal' leading to net zero plans, sacrificing economic prosperity for fractional CO2 changes. The conference has also received funding from American fossil fuel interests, major Trump donors, and billionaire Reform donor Ben Delo.
Who is attending?
Visitors will pay up to £1,500 per ticket for three days of networking and talks. Speakers include Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Other speakers are Chris Wright, Donald Trump's energy secretary; Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer; and Sarah Rogers, a senior State Department official promoting right-wing parties abroad. Among the 40 parliamentarians on the guest list are Conservative peer Ben Houchen, MP Esther McVey, and Reform MPs Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell. Government attendees include Samuel Samson, a US state department official who challenged Britain's online safety laws; Jon Morgan, senior official in Vice-President JD Vance's office; and Rodney Mims Cook Jr, overseer of the White House ballroom extension. European attendees include members of Germany's AfD, Romania's Alliance for the Union of Romanians, Belgium's Vlaams Belang, Spain's Vox, and the Netherlands' Party for Freedom. Over a dozen representatives from the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal group behind overturning Roe v Wade, are expected. Two Eton college figures, Tom Arbuthnott and Luke Martin, will also attend. Corporate attendees include Johnson & Johnson, Palantir, BP, Philip Morris International, Rio Tinto, Airbus, Sanofi, RedBird Capital, and DP World.
What have people said?
An Arc spokesperson stated the conference brings together leaders across business, culture, politics, and technology to discuss recovering civilisational foundations. They noted that challenging net zero was once heresy but now mainstream, and demographic decline is now a recognised risk. Their ambition is to establish an international network of builders committed to national flourishing. Georgie Laming from Hope Not Hate described Arc as 'one of the biggest radical right events in the UK and a networking opportunity for the global right and far right.' She expressed concern over mainstream UK politicians mingling with US anti-abortion activists and European far-right figures. Professor Tim Bale of Queen Mary University of London said the gathering reflects the collapse of the border between far-right and centre-right, with mainstream conservatives adopting the adage 'If you can't beat them, join them.'
