Adam Smith is often caricatured as the prophet of unfettered individualism. Yet, Smith believed the Invisible Hand could only function within a society bound by sympathy, family, and local institutions. The Adam Smith Institute invites you to a keynote lecture where Danny Kruger MP, Head of Preparation for Government for Reform UK, sets out his party's principles for social policy.
Moving beyond the myth of atomised selfishness, this lecture explores the profound intellectual kinship between Adam Smith and Edmund Burke. We will trace the roots of free enterprise from early Christianity to Burke’s little platoons, arguing that the real enemies of community are not markets, but the top-down Men of System in distant bureaucracies.
Join us on Smith’s birthday and the 250th year since the publication of The Wealth of Nations to discuss a social policy that trusts families and communities over central planners, reclaiming Smith’s legacy as the foundation for a resilient, organic social order.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, 16th June 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Venue: The Caledonian Club (9 Halkin Street, London SW1X 7DR)
Keynote Speaker: Danny Kruger MP
Chair: James Lawson, Chairman of the ASI
Dress code: business/club attire (see here)
Agenda
18:00 – 19:00: Drinks Reception
19:00 – 19:05: Introduction by James Lawson
19:05 – 19:40: Keynote Lecture: Danny Kruger MP
19:40 – 20:00: Chaired Q&A
20:00 – 21:00: Drinks Reception