Having worked at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney from 2008 to 2012, I know how inspirational the think tank’s annual Consilium conference can be. Last week’s gathering on the Gold Coast certainly was, not least because of a remarkable speech by the historian Niall Ferguson. Although Consilium operates under Chatham House rules (unattributed comment), Ferguson has given me permission to share insights from his keynote address. I am glad he did because his warnings could not be more timely.

The world is beginning to wake up to simmering anti-Semitism and rising Islamic extremism after the events of October 7, 2023, and all humanity - not just Jewish people - must be alert to the threat, one of the globe's most respected historians has warned.