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Response to Discussion Brief 1/2019 Global Britain ______________________________________________________________ Name of Constituency Conservatives Abroad USA Name of CPF Group Conservatives Abroad DC, CA & MI (Co-ordinated by DC) Name of CPF Coordinator Christopher Jackson Email address of Coordinator [email protected] Number of attendees Aged <25 25-39 40-65 >65 Contributors: Unclear – in excess of 25 Date of meeting Various – three different CPF groups If you have a Conservative MP, please tick this box to confirm that you have sent a copy of this response to your MP: ☐ Please indicate whether you used the accompanying video and powerpoint presentation and, if so, how useful you found them or in what ways you might suggest they could have been improved: Video Powerpoint Feedback: We used it ☐ ☐ Did not use We did not use it ☐ ☐ 1. What should a Conservative-led UK Government seek to achieve in the world? The modern world allows for no islands. Unlike any previous moment in the UKs history, it is impossible for a modern nation to escape from the effects of decisions that are made by others on the global stage. It is a consequence of this reality that nations who do not engage with the world and seek to shape it, will be forced to accept the consequences of others decisions. In this new paradigm, British goals abroad must focus on ensuring the preservation of two things above all others: British Liberal & Democratic values, and our partnerships & alliances across the world. Our values define who we are. Support for democracy, liberalism and the principles of enlightenment are under threat globally, whether in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia or the Middle East. There is a perception that our values no longer are relevant for the modern age, and that a new model is needed and that Russia and China (among others) may be a new model to follow. This is a historic mistake. Nations that do not respect the freedom of their people are scarcely inclined to care about the rights and freedoms of others, nor are they inclined to work towards global solutions, especially where they may see a cost for themselves (witness Russia and Saudi Arabia’s attitude to climate negotiations). CPF Discussion Briefs exist to stimulate debate. They do not represent the views of the Conservative Party. CPF Brief No 1/2019 Deadline for submission: 28 February 2019 Page 1 of 9 Response to Discussion Brief 1/2019 Global Britain ______________________________________________________________ America under its current leadership has undermined its role the global leader of liberalism and democracy, creating much consternation abroad and indeed at home. But this moment in time is also a window for Britain. The UK has vast soft power resources at its disposal (rated number one in the world by Portland), including media, international aid and a network of global alliances, which can be deployed to challenge the threat of authoritarianism and illiberal democracies. We also have one of the World’s pre-eminent military forces, ranked 2nd in the World by the Henry Jackson Society. But we need to use them. Allies like Canada and Australia have tried to take stands on global abuses of democracy and assaults on human rights (witness Bahrain’s attack on an Australian footballer or China’s detention of Canadian businessmen over the Huawei case). But our allies suffer when they appear to stand alone and few nations are large enough to fight these battles without significant consequences. But Britain can fight them. A Conservative-Led UK government should act as a shield for global democracy and liberalism, taking the blows for those who cannot manage on their own and providing a rallying point for others to group behind. But this requires Britain to have the right resources and alliance networks to support this stand. To develop its capabilities abroad, Britain must invest more into ensuring its military, especially its naval and intelligence gathering resources, are robust enough to deal with the challenges to global supply chains and hybrid warfare strategies. Aligned with this needs to be an expansion in funding for the BBC foreign service and an active effort to engage in more cultural exchanges between Britain and democratically challenged nations. Using a blend of targeted aid, humanitarian support, capacity building and military support is key. Domestically the UK must also ensure that its own democratic values are strong, to ensure that they can be projected abroad. What we do at home, reflects as a mirror to the world. Issues such as the reduction in local journalists, rising use of food banks for UK citizens, increasing levels of violent crime (notably knife crime) and growing economic inequality, all are reflected abroad and used by the enemies of our values to exploit fears in others. The strength of Britain abroad will always be a function of the picture we paint to the world of British life at home. We can and must do better. Lastly, we must talk more about Climate Change. This is a theme that cuts across economics, politics, religion, race and geography. It has security dimensions, health dimensions and all told, it is a challenge greater than that ever faced by our people. As the home of the modern industrial revolution, with a huge historic carbon footprint, the Conservative party must push the UK to move faster and work harder, globally and domestically, to address this issue. 2. What is the UK’s unique selling point as a global player, and what should our commitments be to other countries? What should be the role of the Commonwealth? The UK remains an extremely important global player for two key factors. CPF Discussion Briefs exist to stimulate debate. They do not represent the views of the Conservative Party. CPF Brief No 1/2019 Deadline for submission: 28 February 2019 Page 2 of 9 Response to Discussion Brief 1/2019 Global Britain ______________________________________________________________ The first is that the UK remains a global superpower when it comes to soft power levers such as Aid, Culture, Media and values. When people outside of the UK think and speak of Britain, the number one most commonly cited thing is the BBC, perhaps followed by the Royal Family then football teams. It is hard to underestimate the importance and value that are associated with these items. From music, to film, tv shows and fashion, the UK projects power well beyond its level. Indeed, it is hard to travel to a corner of the world and not find a Manchester United football squad or a bar playing Ed Sheeran. The UK is also the world’s fourth largest aid donor, with significant contributions to humanitarian relief, medical research for addressing third world health epidemics and support for fighting climate change. Indeed, the UK invested almost a billion pounds in helping support global vaccines, two billion pounds fighting aid and malaria, as well as nearly 2 billion to support investments in clean technologies and climate resiliency. The second key factor is Britain’s attractiveness as a location for foreign investment. The strength of the rule of law, the importance of the English language (and our legal system), alongside the strength of the UK’s financial services sector and our armed forces professionalism, are unique assets that are hard to replicate elsewhere. Further, the UK has an extremely innovative and effective financial services sector, which is the envy of the world. Whether we consider the UKs dominance in global derivatives, commodities trading, green bonds, energy & aviation insurance, Chinese RMB (or Panda) bond issuances or indeed the creation of Eurobonds, the City of London (and the wider financial services sector) are a unique UK asset. But the UK also is the leading global consultancy hub and clearly dominates the global accounting and auditing industry, with all four majors based in the UK. Crucially, the UK is also a hub of innovation, with leading scientific research hubs, cutting edge new technology companies and a vibrant start-up community. Indeed, the UK has much that it can brag about. However, with these huge strengths come responsibilities. The Conservative party’s decision after 2010 to cut spending on the BBC foreign service remains one of the most short-sighted policies we have implemented in decades. The UK has a duty to help promote global journalism, support access to high quality news for people across the world and to protect freedom of speech. The UK also must use its soft power to sway global opinion on key issues like climate change and equality for all. The impact of the BBCs Blue Planet has been profound, and has probably done more than any single country could have achieved alone. Encouraging and coordinating British soft power to promote these global goods should be a key responsibility of the Conservative party. The UK must also work to address the problems that it has created from its successes, most notable of which is the facilitation of money laundering. The UK has considerable power to stop dark money flows, by insisting on greater levels of transparency in financial services. There are many legitimate and important reasons why the Channel Islands and the City of London value privacy and rigid security measures. But these must not be used to whitewash the flaws in the current system. The UK’s unexplained wealth orders are excellent examples of a zero tolerance approach to corruption at the national level, which CPF Discussion Briefs exist to stimulate debate. They do not represent the views of the Conservative Party. CPF Brief No 1/2019 Deadline for submission: 28 February 2019 Page 3 of 9 Response to Discussion Brief 1/2019 Global Britain ______________________________________________________________ must be replicated at the international level as well.

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