King's College London

Students from King’s College London were given a unique opportunity to engage directly with senior policymakers at the London Defence Conference (LDC), taking part in a private Q&A session with Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, and also meeting US Congressman Pat Harrigan.

The session, held on the morning of Day 2, offered King’s student rapporteurs and the student organising committee for the Future Leaders' Day rare access to two influential political figures shaping transatlantic security policy. Speaking after the event, one student reflected: 

In addition, King’s doctoral candidates Husna Kosif, Bradley Mortin, Kit Perry and Gemma Bowsher enjoyed the opportunity to present their research at one of the conference side sessions, showcasing emerging work from the Department of War Studies.

The students' participation formed part of King’s wider contribution to the London Defence Conference, held on 10–11 April 2026 in Whitehall. While the conference took place away from its traditional venue at Bush House for the first time, the university remained closely engaged through academic contributions, student involvement and institutional leadership. King's colleagues Professor John Gearson, Dr Hillary Briffa and Professor Niall Barr continue to serve on the LDC board.

The conference opened with a welcome address from King’s Senior Vice President (Academic), Professor Rachel Mills, alongside Lord Salisbury, Chairman of the London Defence Conference, reinforcing the university’s ongoing role in convening critical defence dialogue.

Then followed keynote addresses from the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, followed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton and the Chiefs of Defence from the Joint Expeditionary Force, setting out the strategic challenges facing the UK and its allies.

Across the programme, King’s academics contributed to key discussions. Professor John Bew participated in a panel on ‘Strengthening the Northern alliance’ and later moderated ‘Getting ready – lessons from history’, which examined how a failure to engage with historical precedent has weakened Western readiness. The panel explored how “a generation of governments overlooked history” and called for renewed attention to lessons from past mobilisation and conflict.

On Day 2, Professor Sir David Omand contributed to a panel on ‘Nuclear Options’, while Dr Jade McGlynn joined a discussion on ‘Whole of Society Readiness’, reflecting King’s continued strength in bridging academic insight with policy debate.

The highlight of the conference came with Kemi Badenoch’s keynote address, which set out a stark assessment of the UK’s defence posture in a changing global order. She warned that the United States is “playing by very different rules from what we’re used to”, raising questions about the future of the transatlantic alliance.

Badenoch argued that Britain must respond with greater seriousness and self-reliance, stating that “without the United States, we cannot properly defend ourselves at present” and describing European strategic autonomy as “a fairy tale”.

Central to her message was the need for urgent action on defence capability. She warned that Britain has “allowed ourselves to drift into the role of commentator with little capability” and that current levels of readiness are insufficient in the face of growing geopolitical instability.

Her speech framed readiness as a matter of political will and difficult trade-offs, arguing that “power does not come from wishful thinking” but from “hard capability”.

The conference closed with a a keynote address from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Alistair Carns. Moderated throughout by journalist and historian Mark Urban, the London Defence Conference highlighted both the scale of the challenges facing the UK and its allies, and the importance of connecting policy, academia and the next generation of leaders.