Event
Plaisterers' Hall
One London Wall
1 London Wall
City of London
London EC2Y 5JU
United Kingdom
Conservatism around the world is currently on the ascendency, with the election of leaders such as Donald Trump, Javier Milei, and Girogia Meloni – with other conservative movements looking to win success in Germany and Canada later this year.
The question however is if the winning formula for conservatives has changed. In the past, the conservative movement won on the basis of ‘fusionism’ between classical liberal, neo-conservatives, and the Christian right. The aim was for these three movements to come together as Reagan's so called ‘three legged stool’ – performing a division of labour to bring together different voter bases and pursue a common ideology against the threats posed by the left.
This coalition over the years has disintegrated – with neo-cons losing influence after the early 2000’s, and classical liberals increasingly finding themselves at odds with the rest of the movement as they move towards more protectionist economic outlooks.
However, there is a case to be made that the old fusionism is still a winning formula. The landslide election of Boris Johnson in 2019, and the success of Christopher Luxon in New Zealand are proof that the old model of conservatism is still one that can deliver.
The question therefore that needs to be answered is whether the old coalition is fit for the future – or whether a new coalition is needed.
