As the global far-right converges on London this week, two influential figures from Eton College will be among those rubbing shoulders with Reform UK MPs and wealthy donors at a high-profile summit dubbed an "anti-woke" Davos. Tom Arbuthnott, the elite school's Deputy Head (Partnerships), and Luke Martin, a theology master who has publicly clashed with Eton's modernisation efforts, are confirmed attendees of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) event.
The three-day gathering at Olympia exhibition centre is expected to draw 4,000 people from more than 85 countries, including Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell, two Reform UK MPs who have consistently courted controversy with their views. The Arc's co-founders, Canadian psychotherapist Jordan Peterson and British Tory peer Phillippa Stroud, aim to bring together populist-right figures from across the globe in a show of strength against what they perceive as a liberal elite.
Notable attendees include British crypto billionaire Ben Delo, who has donated £4 million to Reform UK, as well as senior officials from the US State Department. Samuel Samson, an official involved in debates around online safety legislation, is listed among those expected to attend, alongside Jon Morgan, a senior aide to US Vice-Presidential candidate JD Vance.
The event will also feature speakers critical of European liberal democracies, including Sarah B. Rogers, the US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. More than a dozen representatives from the conservative legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), instrumental in overturning Roe v Wade in the US, are also anticipated to attend.
A significant corporate presence is expected at the Arc, with themes of hostility towards net zero policies and climate scepticism prominent in the agenda. European far-right parties will be represented by members from Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany, Vlaams Belang in Belgium, Vox in Spain, and the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands.