The Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council event “Britain’s Place in the World” took place on the 29th of September 2016 at the highly prestigious Carlton Club in London. In the wake of the referendum the question of Britain’s place in the world was inescapably intertwined with the question of how Brexit would affect the UK and what steps we should take to address it; it was these questions that formed the focal point of the afternoon’s discussions.
Shortly after arrival the guests were invited for an exquisite lunch in the Churchill Room. The rich history in which the Carlton Club is steeped was evidenced by our surroundings – each wall was adorned with majestic portraits of such prominent figures as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and of course, Sir Winston Churchill – the member of the club after whom the room was named.
The Brexit discussion began with an address by Lord Jay of Ewelme, GCMG, who opened with a fond recollection of a humorous situation he found himself in with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, before quickly getting to the heart of the questions on everyone’s minds; what was to be done about Brexit, and how would it shape our future? Lord Jay opined that Article 50 should be triggered promptly, as a great deal of the negotiations between the UK and the EU could be resolved within the two year period between the activation of Article 50 and the departure of the UK from the EU. He went on to discuss a number of issues, such as how the UK would deal with the issues of terrorism, cyber attack and immigration, the military might of the UK post Brexit, where the UK would stand in a dispute between the EU and the USA, and the financial expense of maintaining the UK’s global influence. Following his address the guests were eager to ask questions, which were fielded and covered topics such as the potential complications regarding the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the merit of identity cards in the fight against terrorism, and even the likelihood of a third world war.
After lunch the guests retired to the Morning Room, and following a short interim the roundtable conference, chaired by Rehman Chishti MP, commenced. After introducing the panel members Mr Chishti passed the floor over to HE Mazen K Homoud – Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Referring to the prospect of World War III raised earlier, His Excellency opined that such a war was already under way – referring to the current multinational conflict with Daesh. His Excellency voiced concerns over whether the UK was a welcoming country, and stated that while the UK was a powerhouse that could not be ignored, London as a finance centre would suffer as a result of Brexit.
The next speaker was Michael McManus, who considered the recent referendum in a historical context. Contrasting it with the referendum of 1975, Mr McManus in particular discussed the contrast in the motivations of the voters, comparing the post war sentiment that surrounded the 1975 referendum to the issues that influenced voters earlier this year.
Mr McManus was followed by Brooks Newmark, who voted for Brexit despite being a globalist due to what he described as the economic flatlining of the EU. Mr Newmark, disagreeing with Lord Jay’s earlier position, argued that he did not believe that Article 50 should be triggered at present, as he was concerned the EU would stall negotiations in order to disadvantage the UK.
Next to speak was Mark Stanford. Mr Stanford raised the interesting question of whether, having separated from the EU, the UK should focus on using the Commonwealth as the basis for a new process of integration. Mr Stanford argued that the Commonwealth could prove to be an opportunity to enhance the powers of small countries in a dangerous world.
HE Dr Rizal Sukma – the Indonesian Ambassador, spoke next. His Excellency voiced concerns that the UK would forget East Asia, and argued that the UK should place a stronger focus on improving its relationship with the nations of China and India.
His Excellency was followed by Baroness Stedman-Scott, who considered the sentiment surrounding the referendum and argued that many Brexit voters felt that the country no longer cared about them, and that they had been denied a sense of destiny. Baroness Stedman-Scott went on to provide her perspective as someone who runs a charity, and argued the importance that the UK should become champions of social justice.
Police Comissioner Katy Bourne considered some of the economic issues surrounding Brexit, particularly with regards to the police budget. Using the investigation of historic sex abuse cases as an illustrative example of the high expense of policing, Ms Bourne expressed concerns over how the budget would be affected, and also discussed whether the UK could continue to belong to Europol.
James Cleverly MP spoke next. Despite having voted for Brexit, Mr Cleverly voiced concerns that many Brexit voters had voted the way they did due to protectionist and nationalist values, and stressed that such values must not form the focus of the UK’s approach.
Mr Cleverly was followed by Dr Rem Korteweg. Dr Korteweg emphasized how long it can take for trade agreements to be finalised, and discussed what should be done in the interim period before such processes are concluded, stressing the need for a close focus on the maintenance of trade ties and the importance of the World Trade Organisation.
The roundtable conference was brought to a close by some concluding remarks from CFCC President Sir Ronald Halstead CBE. Having engendered impassioned discussion on one of the most controversial events to shape our country in recent history, the event considered such a wealth of diverse perspectives that the issue of Brexit had been examined from all angles. While Britain’s place in the world may be uncertain, its people are striving to find it.
Dmitri Stokes
Listen to the Lunch Speech here and the Roundtable Discussion here.
Coffee for Roundtable Discussion kindly sponsored by Sustainable Eco Energy Ltd