Dominic Cummings, former Chief Advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will present a 90-minute lecture at the Sheldonian Theatre on 11th June. Cummings is set to speak about contemporary Western politics, focusing particularly on the British and US governments.
The address has been organised by the Pharos Foundation, an Oxford-based group which holds lectures and debates on politics and culture. Pharos describes itself on its Youtube channel as ‘a gateway to civilisation’, and largely hosts conservative academics and political figures. Brexit, identity politics, and classical history are topics frequently covered by speakers for the group. The group invited Cummings last year to an event where he answered questions on topics including the NHS, immigration and the future of warfare.
The lecture on 11th June will in particular address the following questions: “Why are Western regimes in crisis? What can we do in Britain to turn the tide? Why have political and intellectual elites blown up their credibility? What replaces them?”
Cummings first gained national attention as the director of Vote Leave, the official campaign organisation promoting British withdrawal from the European Union, from 2015 to 2016. When Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as Prime Minister in 2019, Cummings was appointed to serve as his Chief Advisor.
Last year, Cummings spoke at the Oxford Union in an event which was closed to press under ‘Chatham House’ rules. Since leaving government, he has made only rare public appearances other than sporadic media interviews.
The Pharos Foundation describes itself as a “non-partisan research institution and educational charity working for a renaissance across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.” Previous speakers at public lectures include Richard Dawkins, Lord Tony Sewell, and Sir Niall Ferguson.
