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Oh dear. Liz Truss’s CPAC Great Britain bonanza does not appear to have got off to quite the flying start she envisaged. Images from the InterContinental London – The O2, along with testimony from those inside, suggest the conservative jamboree is proving rather less Reagan and rather more relegation.
Attendees have been struck by the emptiness of the main auditorium, while the corporate stalls have hardly been doing a roaring trade. The American-style flashing lights and thumping music have failed to summon the masses, with several observers noting that there appear to be more hacks in the room than genuine delegates. Complaints about the absence of booze and outrage over £3 coffees from a dispenser have also begun flooding social media. One attendee likened CPAC to the political version of the infamous Fyre Festival – although even that managed to generate a decent crowd. There have also been reports of alarmingly lax security, with bags and IDs receiving only the most cursory of glances.
Today’s line-up included shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith, former cabinet ministers Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and the historian David Starkey. Nigel Farage will headline tomorrow, which may at least persuade a few more people to venture into the auditorium.
