February 20, 2025 - 5:00pm
Cuckoo Club, Central London
This week, the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) took over the Excel Centre in London. For three days, the world’s Right-wingers and classical liberals, clad in business attire, attempted to save Western civilisation one panel discussion at a time. For the more gregarious conference-goers, the climax of the week came at “D’ARC” last night, the unofficial afterparty.
There were no major protests outside the convention centre in East London during the conference. Yet, hours before the after-party, climate activist group Fossil Free London joyfully declared on X that it had foiled the plans of its arch-enemies: “BREAKING: We just SHUT DOWN the far right’s afterparty.” “Omeara London has pulled out, leaving attendees scrambling for a new venue,” it wrote. “Fossil fuel execs, Trump insiders & extremists are gathering at ARC – but people-power has stopped their celebrations. People power wins!!!”
The triumph was short-lived, however, as the shindig was moved to the Cuckoo Club — aptly named, some critics might suggest — in Piccadilly. As the organiser said: “It’s amazing what you can do with money.” Outside, a cacophony of (mostly) young men in suits were in deep discussion about Judeo-Christian values, as espoused by thinkers such as Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Inside, incongruent classical music blared in a room of garish decor, with a life-sized Zebra the star of the show. The attendees in the room were somewhat perplexed, with one telling me that it was “completely demonic”. Downstairs, Reform UK’s chairman Zia Yusuf rubbed shoulders with Right-wing YouTubers like Carl Benjamin, known as Sargon of Akkad, who held court at a table of rotating guests.
Right-leaning parties have been a feature of the political world for decades, but the intense buoyancy of the atmosphere is new. The viral “Cruel Kids” of the recent New York magazine cover had come to London. One partygoer from Los Angeles who works in PR told me: “The vibeshift is global. Things will change this time round.” Donald Trump’s election seems to have morphed bitter rage at a progressive establishment into triumphal optimism.
Yet the gap between the Europeans and Americans is growing. The Conservatives, whom many young British Right-wingers have given up on, are adjusting to life in opposition. For the first time in many of their adult lives, young conservatives in the UK are experiencing life under a Left-wing government, and the bitterness is intensifying. Just as President Trump unleashes a torrent of action from the Middle East to Ukraine, Keir Starmer is focused on Britain paying £18 billion to give away the strategic Chagos Islands. As a result, Reform UK is now ascendant, regularly topping opinion polls.
For some of the partygoers at D’ARC, even Nigel Farage and Reform are too soft and too old. One particularly young partygoer from Oxfordshire has concluded that “Farage is a gentle boomer, Trump has energy.” It didn’t seem to matter that the US President is almost 20 years older than the Reform leader.
As the clock struck three and Right-wing influencer James O’Keefe took to the decks, it seemed to some attendees that Western civilisation had been defended for another year. “I can’t believe the access you get to all these people,” said a spotty university student who runs a free speech society. “It’s a shame Jordan Peterson never came.”
Hurrah! More power to their (collective) elbows.
Preventing political opposition from gathering or speaking is a textbook sign of Democratic Values.
Remind us of January 6, 2021…
Does your mom let you open a gift every Insurrection Eve to celebrate?
Insurrection Day morning – we’re traditional that way!
Folks! Not a joke!
Good point.
And what desperately sad people Fossil Fuel London must be to be crowing to each other on X, or anywhere else, about how the shut down the afterparty of all things.
If they’d shut down the debate, or the forum or whatever, that would be a victory of sorts for whatever intolerant brand of authoritarianism they’re championing, but shutting down the afterparty? That’s just spite. And they couldn’t even do that. Sad, sad people.
I hope MI5 took a copy of the guest list.
How very democractic of you…
Hi, Lloyd :)))
The Left has nothing to offer those who are happy, well-adjusted, and grateful. This includes many who are nowhere near rich. Its natural constituencies are those who (at least claim that they) can’t or won’t take care of themselves.
Allowing the dysfunctional to dictate the terms of society is one of the worst ideas ever conceived of. This is becoming increasingly apparent, even to the young. If a person wants anything like the joy of normality, then the Left’s utopian (actually dystopian) schemes must be rejected.
“the joy of normality”
You must bore even yourself!
You certainly bore everyone else…
No one is more tedious than you.
Your comments would suggest otherwise, cherie!
You remind me of Poppy Sowerby.
I.think that’s you, you old dinosaur! Seriously, I haven’t seen even a witty, let alone interesting point you have ever made.
“Socialism” – a disastrous idea that has failed every time it has been attempted. Oh, it has never been tried, maybe? And why might that be?
“For the first time in many of their adult lives, young conservatives in the UK are experiencing life under a Left-wing government“
Last time I checked the UK has had a left wing government since 1995 at least.
Check again, dimwit
A person of few words and even fewer ideas.
Or perhaps a severe case of mental constipation and verbal diarrhoea
All of the world’s premier incels in one place! I can only imagine how cool that must have been!
You’re back! I missed your dourness, so appropriate for a Socialist.
Speaking of incels!
Good try. I’ve got too many kids to qualify. But your spleen is showing. You seem unhappy.
Sure you do, Trump Boy! I bet you’re a real stud, aren’t you?!?!
Ah, so you’re one of the bourgeois metropolitan Lefties who got themselves gelded to impress their effete mates but now feels bitter about it 🙂
Of course I am a bourgeois metropolitan Lefty – obvs! – but this horse stuff we leave to the vet.
Not sure what kind of parties you are going to, sweetie, but I’d be careful with that gelding business – could leave a mark!
Oh dear,is this the limit of your debate?
Obviously not, sweetie. But I find its perfectly adequate to dispose of the low information Trumpbots who tend to post around here.
You included.
Thinking you are moving the political needle by forcing a celebration to shift venue is such a sign of the times. And cause for celebration for the people dancing around the pole-zebra: as long as their enemies are this silly, their success is assured.
Out of interest, did the Conference properly discuss why a Right wing Govt spoke so much about reducing legal immigration yet did the opposite? Did it debate our demographics and how we square these with a low birth rate, which even if somehow one could correct tomorrow would take decades to come to full fruition. Did it discuss why capitalism seems to increase internal inequality thus pulling at Society’s foundations and stability unless significantly ameliorated?
Or did it largely amplify rage, blame hard working migrants for everything, avoid honest discussion and swerve the tough calls?
Sounds like the typical Right wing Bollinger Boys gathering to be honest.
False: “For the first time in many of their adult lives, young conservatives in the UK are experiencing life under a Left-wing government”
Yes, there is an optimism abroad. The vibe shift. Jordan Peterson has gathered quite an eclectic group of people into the ARC. I may not share all of his views, or those of some of the other speakers there, but I welcome their opportunity to express them.
Vibrant optimism is attractive and empowering. Bring it on!
I hope Omeara London is sued for breach of contract and Fossil Free London separately sued for inducing breach of contract