Last night’s Institute of Economic Affairs sixtieth birthday bash may have had Sajid Javid as their big name keynote speaker but it was another politician on the guest list at the East London venue who made the biggest impression.
Ukip’s Suzanne Evans turned up at the party less than an hour after the BBC had published a leaked email from a member of the party saying she was banned from media appearances. In fairness, Evans appeared happy to oblige these demands, and was keen to keep a close distance from prying hacks.
Appropriately for a wonk-shop set up by a chicken farmer, poultry was on the menu. Javid used the opportunity to display his funnier, more personable side to the bone dry right-wing think-tank:
‘After leaving the RAF a young Sir Antony Fisher was set on a career in politics.
But Friedrich Hayek told him that if he really wanted to change the world he should forget about becoming an MP…
…and start a think-tank instead.
I don’t know if that means I’m in the wrong job!’
Culminating in a George W. Bush impression, Javid had the champagne-fuelled crowd banging the tables by quarter past seven by quoting Reagan:
‘President Reagan was talking about democracy when he said that that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
But his idea – that freedom is not passed on but must be fought for, protected and defended – applies equally to free market.
We neglect it at our peril and if we fail to support it, it could still crumble in the face of countless tiny attacks.
Or, as George W. Bush put it in slightly more succinct terms during the global financial crisis: “this sucker could go down”.
If the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, then we will always need the likes of the IEA to be the watchmen for capitalism.’
With Sajid almost certain to run in a future Tory leadership election, this room full of colleagues such as Chris Grayling, Liam Fox, Francis Maude, Kwasi Kwarteng – and donors including Michael Hintze – were watching his every move.
While ‘avid’ Javid’s intellect and ‘soundness’ are never doubted, there is a slight worry about his spontaneity and charisma in Conservative circles, with a view that this is the Business Secretary’s biggest weakness.
Last night’s heavily scripted turn did little to shake that view amongst the crowd, especially after newly appointed Justice Minister Dominic Raab – another golden boy of the right – gave an effortless performance after Sajid had departed, having the crowd in stitches with an off-the-cuff story about fantasising about an IEA pamphlet whilst on a Brazilian beach, surrounded by scantily clad beautiful women.
The race may be long, but it is certainly on.
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