It’s on: this magazine will be published just weeks before the 2024 General Election. Nobody quite understands why Rishi Sunak called it, for his Conservative Party is far behind in the polls and there is no sign of a recovery. The country is in a deep state of depression, having survived the Covid lockdowns only just, and still experiencing the symptoms of inflation and a declining quality of life. The Labour Party, in jubilant ascendancy, is no more ready for government – but it will win by default, having received a shrug by a nation so angry at Conservative politicians that it believes any other option would leave them better off.
The Salisbury Review will not endorse a political party today, especially neither of the two that could form a government. We consider that they have failed to articulate a vision that would serve the causes of family, culture and religion. Indeed, in contributing to high taxation, a failing healthcare system, wokery, and a ballooning welfare state, they positively stand against those causes. While we sympathise with those who intend to vote for the Reform Party, which offers to crack-down on this Left-wing drift, questions remain as to the real-world impact of casting votes in their direction. Is there a point in the Conservative claim that a vote for Reform would effectively be a vote for Labour?
In the election’s aftermath, if the result is as predicted, there will be a battle for the heart of the Conservative Party, and we will endorse any candidate who articulates that Burkean philosophy that we have supported ever since our foundational issue. It is no good to parrot “Right-wing” policies without understanding the cultural sentiment that should underlie them. You cannot defend the family without explaining the value of “little platoons”; without understanding how they protect us as individuals from selfish destructiveness. Some Conservatives, such as Danny Kruger, have already begun the work of rejuvenating this philosophy, but whether any leadership candidate would be able to follow suit is an open question.
Any candidate seeking inspiration would do well to read this edition of the Review. It features, among other items, a ferocious takedown of the war on white men by Professor David Abulafia and a modern twist on Sir Roger Scruton’s West and The Rest by Henry George. We encourage readers to digest these articles wholesomely, for they are unlike those that are found in almost every other British magazine today. We do conservative philosophy here, proud and unabashed, and hope that conservative politics will follow suit.
We would also like to invite you to read articles on our newly-refurbished website, www.salisburyreview.com. In order to continue and grow, your support is paramount.
