Thank you Tom and thank you for inviting me to join you tonight. It’s great that we’ve already heard a few words from the boss, by whom I mean Gisela of course. She’s a very old friend of mine and has kept me right on more than one occasion. When she came to me and said ‘I need to talk to you about Wilton Park,’ I said absolutely what is it. So she’s explained it all to me and I’ve now had the chance to visit Wiston House and take part in a fantastic event where some quite tricky politics was done. And I don’t think we would have got to have those conversations in any other way, so I really do thank Tom and Gisela, and all of the team at Wilton Park.
So I’m here just to say a few words about soft power. You thought you got off lightly because the Foreign Secretary just did a short video clip buy you’ve got a Minister, so here we go.
When you talk about soft power you kind of get the impression that any minute now there’s going to be some soft music, maybe a video of an ocean and some wildlife, and then David Attenborough might emerge and talk to us. I can assure you that David Attenborough is not going to be joining us tonight – big reveal. But I will just say a few words just to share some reflections.
I am the UK’s minister leading on soft power together with my colleague Chris Bryant at DCMS, I also lead on our policy on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Our soft power ecosystem in the UK is vast as you will know. It includes the British Council – sharing English as a lingua-franca in over 200 countries and territories right around the world.
It includes the BBC World Service – reaching 318 million people, in 42 languages, every single week. And for those being targeted by fake news – their accurate, impartial broadcasting continues to be quite literally a lifeline. Indeed, for those living through conflicts and crises – like those listening to the new emergency service in Gaza – it actually does save lives.
And of course, we have Wilton Park which is helping the UK bring together key players from across government, across sectors, and across the world, to face the greatest challenges as well as the greatest opportunities, whether that’s conflict, the climate and nature crisis, to this government’s guiding mission – to grow our economy, and bring opportunity to people across our country.
As the Foreign Secretary said in a major speech at the start of the new year, our increasingly contested, competitive world calls for a whole new level of global engagement now – drawing on all our greatest strengths – from the Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Prize, to the Premier League.
And while already, it is hard to overstate the importance of the UK’s power to attract – we must work harder. At a time when our adversaries have so little that is genuinely attractive to offer the world, they are working overtime to make up for this – through disinformation, setting countries and communities against one another.
Soft power is one of the greatest assets that we have, it helps us to amplify British influence around the world, through everything from education, to artificial intelligence – whether that’s to realise the aims of hard-headed diplomacy, opening up new opportunities for UK exports, or improving cooperation in global affairs.
We need to make the most of what we’ve got. That could be the Prime Minister sharing his fervent, and trust me it is fervent, passion for football with fellow fans around the world, or the Foreign Secretary’s moving personal advocacy, kick-starting a new global campaign to reform children’s social care, alongside award winning actor Barry Keoghan.
Indeed, since starting this role some six months ago, time and again, I have felt just how important soft power can be.
At the start of the year, I visited our friends in Chile. I was there on the dockside in Punta Arenas – has anyone ever been there? It’s really windy, so windy – speech off the penguins it was. Buffeted by gale force winds, we marked a hundred years since Chilean captain Luis Pardo’s successful rescue of 22 sailors from HMS Endurance, during Ernest Shackleton’s pioneering attempt to cross the South Pole in 1916.
It was a real moment of pride for all of us, I was proud there to be British, part of the Shakleton story I felt. The Chileans were proud that they had done what few others could have done, they braved the seas and Magellan Strait to do the rescue. But particularly we were very pleased to see the pride in Luis Pardo’s grandson who joined us for the ceremony.
And the heroic feats we celebrated are not just an enduring source of inspiration. They underpin ongoing cooperation in the South Atlantic – something the Chileans underlined, as did the crew of HMS Protector, working alongside the Chilean Navy, in support of the British Antarctic Survey today.
Ask any minister, in any government department, and they will have similar stories, about the purpose of soft power – that makes it possible for us all to do more, and can give our country a competitive edge, in everything from geopolitics to growth.
But soft power is not just about ministers, thank goodness, or even our incredible diplomatic network. Far from it. That is why I was delighted to join the Foreign Secretary and the Culture Secretary here in Lancaster House – as we sat down with leaders from diverse fields, at the first meeting of the Soft Power Council a couple of weeks ago.
Work is now underway to develop a new unified strategy for the way we work together. Whether that’s the rule of law, sport, education, development, arts and culture, food and drink, finance, cutting-edge science, technology, innovation – we want to work with you to enhance the UK’s influence around the world.
And we should be confident about this. Because just look at the depth and breath of experience and expertise in this room tonight – and how many of you are already a huge part of this.
From representatives of world-class universities across the UK.
To world-renowned campaign groups – Save the Children, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, the Malala Foundation, the Red Cross, the International Rescue Committee, and many many more.
Manchester’s largest humanitarian organisation – MAG International, leading the way on removing landmines and explosives.
The Ada Lovelace Institute and Turing Institute – at the forefront of harnessing the power of data and artificial intelligence.
The Scotch Whisky Association – now how many times have your exports helped us cement friendships around the world? Maybe that’s one for later.
But I want us all to be more conscious and proactive about making the most of our country’s soft power – to help us all achieve more.
To strengthen our sense of pride in our country here at home, to grow our economy, bring opportunity to people across the UK, and bolster our security, as the ultimate guarantor of everything we hold dear. And to improve our standing overseas, and our ability to work in genuine, respectful partnership with others around the globe – in service of our mutual interests, and in pursuit of the peaceful, prosperous future that people everywhere want to see.
So, thank you all once again for joining us this evening. And with whisky, or something, now firmly in mind, I’d like us to continue the conversation over some drinks, whatever your choice, so please would you raise a glass to Wilton Park!
[Remarks as delivered]