Commonwealth Week Highlights

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As Commonwealth week draws to a close, here are some of our highlights:

1) We celebrated Commonwealth Day by publishing a Buzzfeed post promoting some of the things we love about the Commonwealth. Read our 10 reasons the Commonwealth is Awesome here.

2) Ralph Buckle, our Director and Co-founder, also wrote a piece for ConservativeHome (one of the UK's leading political blogs). He argued that, as the Commonwealth approaches 65, it's time for it to be refreshed not retired. Read it here.

3)Tim Hewish, our Executive Director and Co-founder, attended the Commonwealth Day Reception 2014 at Marlborough House. At the event he had the opportunity to explain CX's aims and activities to Her Majesty The Queen. He also had a productive discussion with the Commonwealth Secretary General, His Excellency Mr Kamalesh Sharma.

Photos by Richard Lewis & Stefan Kneba

Photos by Richard Lewis & Stefan Kneba

4) Her Majesty The Queen released her Commonwealth message. She said that "Affinities of history and inheritance from the past are strong, yet we are bound together by a sense that the Commonwealth is a powerful influence of good for the future. People of all ages from different cultures are weaving an ever-growing network of links which connect us in our diversity and our common purpose." The full message is here.

5) The UK's Commonwealth Minister Hugo Swire wrote a piece for the Huffington Post on his vision for the Commonwealth. You can read it here.

6) On Thursday CX also attended a Parliamentary meeting with the Indian Cabinet Minister for External Affairs, Mr Salman Khurshid. He discussed opening up the market for Indian & UK lawyers to work together referencing the benefits of similar legal systems. Our Advisory Board member Lord Flight quizzed him on the commercial environment and trade. The Minister concluded by calling the partnership "The Unique Relationship" to mirror the UK and the USA's "Special Relationship."

7) MP's discussed the Commonwealth in a Westminster Hall debate. You can read our highlights here and the full text of the debate here. Our Advisory Board Member Andrew Rosindell MP's comments on the absence of the Commonwealth flags from Parliament Square this year are particularly worth reading.

8) In spite of the lack of flags flying in Parliament Square, they were flying on Horse Guards Road which runs alongside the Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence. We arranged for a photographer to take a few shots. Click through on the image below:

9) Over 500 Commonwealth Flags were also flown all over the UK thanks to the Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth initiative.

10) On Friday we had a productive meeting with the Commonwealth Unit at the FCO to discuss our programme of activity and how we can collaborate to make sure the Commonwealth thrives in the 21st Century.

MPs debate the Commonwealth - Best bits

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On Thursday, MPs held a debate on the Commonwealth in Parliament's Westminster Hall. The discussion went on for three hours and contributions were made by a dozen MPs. Here are some of the highlights.

Sir Alan Haselhurst MP opened the debate by recognising the current lack of public awareness of the Commonwealth, something our Co-founder Ralph Buckle noted in his ConservativeHome article last week. Sir Alan's response was:

"I tend to think of the Commonwealth as a work in progress: developing networks, exchanging information, exploring potential, making friends and doing business. The word “family” is often used in connection with the Commonwealth, and I do not think that is entirely inappropriate because the occasional quarrel is not unknown in families."

Our Advisory Board Member Andrew Rosindell MP intervened fairly quickly to question why the Commonwealth flags were not flying in Parliament Square on Commonwealth day as we noted last week:

Post by Commonwealth Exchange.

The Minister explained that it was due to pavement works on the square but this seems like a barrier that could have been overcome with enough planning and intent. After this the debate was quite wide ranging including concerns around visas and immigration:

"Sir Paul Beresford MP: Does my right hon. Friend recognise from his visits to Commonwealth countries and from talking to people from the Commonwealth that there is a feeling over the past few years... that there has been a tightening in the visas and opportunities for people from Commonwealth countries, including young people, to come to this country to work and to contribute? That is particularly felt as they arrive at Gatwick or such places and see that they are aliens."

However one of the contributions that most resonated with CX's aims came from Sir Henry Bellingham MP:

"Does my right hon. Friend agree that a main priority for many young people in the Commonwealth is getting a job and achieving prosperity? Does he share my vision that the Commonwealth must do more on the commercial diplomacy and trade agenda? We want more trade between Commonwealth countries, which share advantages around common language, contract law and legal systems, so that young people can have brighter hopes for the future in terms of trade picking up. Does he agree that the Commonwealth must give that agenda more priority?"

This again echoes our ConservativeHome article which suggested that the Commonwealth needs to be refocused on the trade agenda which it can be most effective in promoting.

A final contribution from Andrew Rosindell perhaps best sums up the current state of affairs:

"I fear that the Commonwealth has been damaged because for decades we have not realised its potential. We should have been building bridges in the past few years with Commonwealth countries in Africa, Oceania, Asia and of course the Caribbean."

The full debate can be read here.

UK Commonwealth Minister takes part in twitter Q&A

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This morning, the UK Commonwealth Minister Hugo Swire MP took part in a Twitter question and answer session. He was kind enough to answer a number of our questions on a variety of topics including:

1) His recent lunch with the Commonwealth High Commissioners, the first of its kind:

(No mention of if there will be another one but we'll keep our fingers crossed!)

2) Our push for greater trade between Commonwealth nations, especially for SMEs:

3) Our campaign for a memorial for the Commonwealth fallen in the First World War:

We also asked questions about what Britain can learn from other free-trading Commonwealth countries and about the making the Commonwealth more about its citizens rather than its governments (as discussed by the UK High Commissioner to India recently).

You can look back at all the questions asked and answered on the #AskFCO hashtag but we've included a couple more of the Ministers answers below in response to questions about his vision for the Commonwealth and where he sees it going:

All in all it was a productive and interesting session. We hope for another soon!

UPDATE: The Foreign office have produced a Storify board with all the questions the Minister answered. You can see it here.

British High Commissioner to India marks Queen's Birthday

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Britain-and-India.jpg

Sir James Bevan KCMG, the UK High Commissioner in New Delhi, has given another excellent speech (see previous), on this occasion to mark the official birthday of the Queen.

He used the opportunity to "celebrate Britain, India and the partnership between our two great countries" and comments on our peculiarities and similarities such as the British penchants for queueing, apologising and discussing the weather.

However it is not his way with words or witty observations that really mark him out as one of the best champions of our bilateral and Commonwealth relations but the fact that he understands our linkages far better than many who focus on governments when they discuss foreign policy. This is illustrated in his closing words:

"I believe in Britain. I believe in India. And I believe in our partnership. It is a partnership that will not ultimately be forged by governments, diplomats or institutions but by people: by the warm, close personal ties between the individual citizens of our two great countries."

This is precisely the message Commonwealth Exchange seeks to promote: that it is the 2.3 billion citizens of the Commonwealth, not the 53 governments, that really matter. It is through them trading, talking, and exchanging ideas and cultures, that we will really prosper in the 21st Century.

You can read the full speech here.

UK Africa Minister marks Nigerian Centenary

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As we pointed out on Tuesday, the UK's Africa Minister is currently in Nigeria for the country's centenary celebrations. He has today given a speech to mark this occasion and brought with him "warm congratulations and best wishes from Her Majesty the Queen."

He spoke about renewing "the unique ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom" and pointed out that:

"Our relationship is rooted in our joint history; in the large and important Nigerian community in the UK; the deep and expanding trade relationship; and our countless educational, sporting and cultural connections."

He backed this up with some hard facts stating that:

"in Nigeria [the UK] remains the largest investor, and are making strides to meet our ambition to double bilateral trade here, from £4 billion in 2011 to £8 billion this year."

And he concluded that he "looks forward to the next century of our partnership, and of Nigerian – and African – success."

You can read the full speech here.