David Starkey STUNS audience with explanation of Britain's problem | David Starkey Talks

It was my pleasure to speak to the International Reagan Thatcher Society Summer School in Oxford recently, at which I recounted some of the perhaps familiar Starkey Thesis about the corruption of the British constitution by Tony Blair.

What made this event so special however were the uniquely perceptive questions from the audience, and the opportunity it gave me to delve into some of the lesser known history behind the Starkey Thesis, much of which I'm currently exploring as I begin writing for my Substack, which is set to debut this Autumn.

I was able to articulate for the first time in public the true weight of Benjamin Disraeli's contribution to the formation of conservatism, and why he has been so mischaracterised as a wet One Nation Tory. I was also able to highlight the significant contributions of certain Labour Party figures to defeating the hard-Left that characterised the party in the interwar period, an exercise that could bear repeating in the present day.

For those of you who are interested, the speech and question and answer session will give a greater glimpse into the detail of ideas I've been developing since early 2024. I hope you enjoy it!