If Global Britain is to flourish, it must aim wider than the Commonwealth and Europe – and reach Latin America

If Global Britain is to flourish, it must aim wider than the Commonwealth and Europe – and reach Latin America

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David Cameron called it the Global Race. Boris Johnson championed Global Britain. The first era was pre-Brexit; the latter an explicitly post-Brexit national ambition. Either way, both leaders were responding to a very real challenge.

Britain needs to move with the times. And the times are changing. Pretty rapidly. Recognising that, and responding accordingly, opens up opportunities, and mitigates threats. Not doing so magnifies risks.

Leave aside, for a moment, the merits or otherwise of Brexit, which have been well-rehearsed. The following list – regardless of Britain’s allegiances and alliances – provides a state-of-the-world snapshot of today:

China is far more important than it was 20 years ago, in every sphere.

The twentieth-century hegemony of the United States is waning (albeit from a very commanding position).

Asia is increasingly significant. India is about to become the world’s most populous country.

The longer-term big demographic development will be the huge rise in the number of people living in Africa.

Europe’s share of the global population and economy are on a downwards trajectory. Ageing societies present big financial (and healthcare) issues for most developed economies. Technological advances have transformed communications and working practices, and made physical distance matter less. And with technology, there is much more to come.

The world order that will emerge from this period of dramatic change is contested and uncertain. The countries (mainly in the west) that have enjoyed greatest prosperity and influence cannot take their status and comforts for granted. For Britain, business as usual is not an option. Or, at least, not an attractive, affluent or safe option.

This new context presents domestic challenges for any British government. It also requires us to think more creatively about our place in the world...

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Jeremy Browne is the CEO of Canning House, served as a Foreign Office Minister of State under the Coalition Government, and was Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton from 2005-2015.