An initiative of Legatum Institute Limited, the Centre for Conservative Renewal will bring together and revive two different strands of the Anglosphere Conservative tradition.
“No ancient wisdom, no followers”
– Adviser to the Tang court in Chang’an, China, 7th Century AD
Reviving Conservative Tradition
First, the Centre will seek to defend freedom and free markets. Renewing the United Kingdom’s prosperity requires us to bring back economic growth, which means freedom and free markets. This will mean significant reform, including diverging from the European Union’s dirigiste model, if the United Kingdom is to avoid lapsing into a new, low-growth era. Britain must also renew its freedoms more broadly – freedom of speech and thought – to rebuild the space for private convictions and belief.
Second, free markets will only work if our people know that they are part of the same national community and stand by each other on fundamental questions. The Centre will stand for rebuilding that sense of nationhood, a country in which the government does its core tasks – controlling borders, providing law and order, ensuring proper defence, making sure there is proper energy security – and then allows civil society to flourish.
These two strands are not contradictory but complementary, because the British conservative philosophy knows that our traditions work. Some of these are ancient and constitutional and are the proven bulwarks of our country and its freedoms: like Parliament, the common law, the Monarchy, and the religious heritage that is the source of our sense of decency, fair play and space for minorities. It is upon these traditions that our freedoms have also been built. But many of these traditions are now at risk.
Working with people committed to understanding and valuing our historical beliefs, values, culture and traditions, the Centre will address short- and long-term political challenges to help ensure and enhance the prosperity of nations for generations to come.