'Freedom really is in peril' dignitaries told at University of Buckingham conference

The aim was to debate economic policy and freedom of speech through panel sessions and keynote speakers. The issue of the Northern Ireland situation also arose in a number of sessions.

The one day conference, which was a sell-out, was organised by the Freedom Association and The Margaret Thatcher Centre.

Two Buckinghamshire MPs, Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker and Buckingham MP Greg Smith gave speeches. Former Conservative Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith, Lord Hannan and former Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns were also speakers. Outspoken commentator on Freedom of Speech, Prof Eric Kaufmann of Birbeck University, was one of many distinguished panellists.

The national media were well-represented with LBC’s Iain Dale talking as well as journalists from The Spectator, GB News, website Guido Fawkes and Talk TV.

Suella Braverman was guest of honour for a dinner at Villiers for the 140 delegates who stayed on after the conference. She gave a rallying speech on a range of issues including touching on migrants.

Buckingham MP Greg Smith said: “If true free market principles had been followed HS2 would never have seen the light of day.

“As Jeremy Hunt creates a new fiscal path an economic straitjacket is preventing the bold action our principles would direct us towards – including the never-knowingly-right Office of Budget Responsibility, ranked 27th out of 31 forecasters for accuracy.

“We need a whole new generation of entrepreneurs. We need the creator of the next Uber to be from Buckinghamshire. We need to create the right conditions to encourage entrepreneurialism.”

Wycombe MP Steve Baker added: “Freedom really is in peril. If you had told me what we were going to go through in lockdown I wouldn’t have believed it yet no law has been passed to stop it happening again.

“We need to bear with each other in a spirit of goodwill. There is far too much fragmentation.”

University of Buckingham Vice Chancellor Prof James Tooley said: “Freedom is at the heart of how the university was formed. We are celebrating this independent university today. It is fantastic that we have such a great audience and line-up of speakers.”

Lord Hannan said: “The University of Buckingham performs a very important role. There are 180 leftist universities and one independent one – Buckingham.”

LBC’s Iain dale said: “Rishi Sunak has scored some political victories. The Protocol, the boats from France. But a lot of people will have issues with some of his economic policies.”

Emma Webb, Director of The Common Sense Society, said. “I’m besotted with Buckingham. It’s great to be here for the first time. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of many of our rights and freedoms.”

Toby Young, Founder of the Free Speech Union, said: “The government has to have some credit for some things it’s done on free speech. But we’re fighting planned reforms which would enable a person to face action because someone overheard them making an ‘upsetting’ comment.”

Deputy Political Editor of GB News, Tom Harwood, said: “The problem is MPs don’t want to be associated with championing some very uncomfortable issues.

“For example who would want to be ‘Porn MP’?”