Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants Brexit Britain to use its global position to be an ‘invisible chain’ between democratic nations
BREXIT Britain must use its global position as an “invisible chain” between democratic nations, Jeremy Hunt will say this week.
The Foreign Secretary will outline how the UK can promote the benefits of free trade and the rule of law.
He will make the pitch on Wednesday — three months before Britain leaves the EU.
Speaking to an audience in Singapore, he will say we must use our influence as the fifth biggest economy in the world, the second biggest military budget in NATO and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
But he will admit: “We are not a superpower and we do not have an empire”.
Mr Hunt will say our new role should be to link “the democracies of the world, those countries who share our values and support our belief in free trade, the rule of law and open societies”.
He will add: “We have some of the best connections of any country — whether through the Commonwealth, our alliance with the United States and our friendship with neighbours in Europe.”
There is also an opportunity to use “immense reserves” of soft power with 450,000 international students in the UK, 39million visits by tourists last year and our media reaching hundreds of millions, he will insist.
Mr Hunt will also make a thinly veiled attack on China.
The intervention will come after watchdog Freedom House revealed 71 countries suffered a decline in political rights and liberties last year.
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The Foreign Secretary will say: “By 2030, for the first time in our lifetimes, the world’s biggest economy will not be a democracy — or want to become one.”
His comments will heighten diplomatic tensions after the UK raised spy concerns about Chinese tech giant Huawei operating here.
China hit back by accusing the UK of “deep-rooted pride and prejudice” with the company denying posing a threat.
The Sun Says
THE New Year is a time for resolutions — and we back Jeremy Hunt’s commitment to put Britain at the centre of global affairs.
There are plenty of doom-and-gloom merchants plying their trade in the UK at the minute.
There’s the Treasury, which seems to think we’re headed for plague and pestilence after we free ourselves from Brussels. And too many politicians who have lost faith in their country and its people.
But as the Foreign Secretary says, Britain is uniquely placed.There is nobody in the world who hasn’t heard of either the Spice Girls, Harry Kane or one of our leading universities.
Our soft power is truly unparalleled. Our language is the world’s language, we are a voice of moral conscience on the UN Security Council, and we have shown we are willing — when it matters — to use hard power as well as soft.
Britain is still at the top table of the world economies, and destined to grow bigger and better still once we are able to trade with the globe beyond our closest neighbours on more favourable terms.
And despite the paranoid harping of bitter Remainers, this is still a welcome, open and tolerant country.
2019 is a big year for Britain. We will no doubt need some resilience from time to time, but we’ve never lacked for that here.
We can look to the future with optimism.
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