Thursday, 15 May 2025 Contact us

You are Currently viewing Past Events, Click here to see upcoming 2025 Events

Go to 2025 Events
Tom-tugendhat
Tom Tugendhat

FT Weekend Lecture: Britain, the Conservative Party and the World

Tom Tugendhat Interviewed by Alec Russell

Saturday, 2 April 2022

6:30pm

1 hour

Sheldonian Theatre

£7 - £12.50

Conservative politician and foreign affairs expert Tom Tugendhat discusses Britain’s foreign policy in the wake of the debacle in Afghanistan and at a time of pressing threats from China, Russia and elsewhere – and outlines a way ahead for the Conservative Party.

Tugendhat chairs the influential House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and has earned a reputation for his principled and outspoken views. His Commons speech in August last year on the withdrawal from Afghanistan drew applause after he famously said: ‘This doesn’t need to be defeat, but right now damn well feels like it.’ Tugendhat served in the army during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He has described his role as defending the values of freedom, democracy, the ability to challenge authority and the ability to trade and travel globally. He said in February he would consider running to be Conservative Party leader if Boris Johnson stood down.

Tugendhat became MP for Tonbridge and Malling in 2015 and has been chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee since 2017. Here he talks to FT Weekend editor Alec Russell.

An FT Weekend at the Bodleian event.

University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Spain Arts and Culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London elBullifoundation
 

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Spain Arts and Culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London elBullifoundation Embassy of Peru Embassy of Peru Embassy of Chile in the UK Embassy of Chile Iberia British Airways Embassy of the Dominican Republic Embassy of the Dominican Republic Institut Ramon Llull Promoting Catalan culture and language worldwide Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Symington Wines of the Douro Valley HM Government of Gibraltar Sotheby’s Compassion in World Farming Pasture to Plate Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Gravita Accountants to the festival Confucius Institute Voltaire Foundation Felicity Bryan Associates Goldmoney Properties Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize Jim Mellon Miles Young Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Ian and Carol Sellars David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Other donors Yale University Press London New College New College founded 1379 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Harris Manchester College Harris Manchester College founded 1893 Pusey House Founded 1884 New Dutch Writing Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford University Images Oxford University Images CAV Oxford The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Science Oxford Windrush Group The Oxford Times Italian Cultural Institute BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Conference Oxford Ox in a Box OX magazine Africa programme American programme