CPAC Great Britain Makes History in London

The conservative movement has arrived in Britain. From July 16th to 18th, CPAC Great Britain made its debut at the InterContinental London beside the O2, bringing leaders, activists, and thinkers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and allied movements across Europe together under one banner: "Save Britain, Save the West."

Chaired by former Prime Minister Liz Truss, the summit delivered on its promise to be more than just another conference. Truss pledged that CPAC Great Britain would be "a launchpad for the policies and leaders" shaping the future of the West, and the lineup proved her right. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage headlined the summit, joined by CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp and CPAC Senior Fellow Mercedes Schlapp, who carried the American movement's message across the Atlantic. Former Home Secretary and Reform UK spokesperson for Education, Skills and Equalities Suella Braverman, former Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, and former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith took the stage alongside Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith, historian David Starkey, and Free Speech Union founder Toby Young. Broadcasters Dan Wootton and Mike Graham made the case for building a new truthful media, and former President of Poland Andrzej Duda underscored the summit's international reach.

The message from the stage was unmistakable: the challenges facing Britain and America are one and the same. As Chairman Matt Schlapp told the crowd, conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic must recognize that the forces working to undermine one nation are working to undermine them all. From national sovereignty and border security to free speech and economic growth, the summit made clear that the fight to defend Western values is a shared one and that the movement is stronger when patriots stand together.

The emotional high point came with the tribute to Ann Widdecombe, who passed away just days before the summit. A Conservative MP for Maidstone for more than two decades, a minister under John Major, and later shadow Home Secretary, Widdecombe spent her career standing for faith, conviction, and country, and carried the Brexit banner to Brussels as an MEP in 2019. She was honored from the main stage as proceedings opened. The energy peaked when Farage delivered his keynote, a rousing defense of those who believe in family, community, country, decency, democracy, free speech, and putting the national interest first.

CPAC Great Britain was a historic first, but it will not be the last. London now joins the growing family of global CPACs carrying the conservative message to every corner of the free world. Britain has answered the call to save the West. Will you answer the call, too?