The 20th-century conservative movement was always an alloy of historically separate parts. But the conditions that united it – opposition to socialism – have not disappeared.
Once again, the intolerant partnership of Islamists and progressives joined forces to attack peaceful conservatism and sanitise evil in a major European city.
As long as the PopCons remain a vehicle for libertarianism, they won’t be able to offer anything more useful than politically toothless gestures against left-liberalism.
Outlawing surrogacy would contradict the Conservative belief in personal liberty and the right of individuals to make decisions that best suit their lives.
The joint One Nation Caucus and Tory Reform Group conference last weekend, following the recent National Conservative Conference, are pointers to the shape of a possible future.
“We must not fall into this trap: the trap of pushing policies which seem to be politically possible but which we know won’t actually solve the country’s problems.”
The conference showed a large number of people, many of them young, wondering what part a rehabilitated, reinvigorated, Christian conservatism inspired by Burke and Disraeli might have to play.
The attempt to shut down the National Conservatism conference in Belgium is a clear-cut case of abuse of power that has exposed a disturbing attitude towards freedom of expression and assembly.