Category: Commentary

As an Australian delegate to this year’s G20 Youth (Y20) Summit, in Washington D.C., I repeatedly found myself defending one word in negotiations: Indigenous. Youth delegates from the other G20 nations on my Fragility, Conflict and Violence Track questioned the term’s relevance to member countries without an Indigenous population, suggesting ‘local’ as an alternative. I …

Read more “Why should the UK care about Indigenous disaster resilience?”

The Problem While watching HBO’s Game of Thrones, I saw a parallel between the struggles of Westeros and today’s geopolitical stage. The Night King is a slow-brewing threat gathering beyond the Wall, easy to dismiss because its consequences are, for now, someone else’s problem. Meanwhile, the great houses keep competing for absolute power rather than …

Read more “Lights, Camera, Climate Action: Sustainability & Soft Power in Britain’s Screen Industry”

‘Transactionalism’ has reentered the zeitgeist due to the perceived collapse of the post Cold War world—where the Liberal International Order (LIO), and multilateralism, had once triumphed over the warmongering cynicism of the 20th century. However, this norm is rapidly reverting into a world where self-interest and short-term gain are prerequisites for engagement. Long-term strategic goals, …

Read more “‘Transactionalism’: Instinct or Metamorphosis?”

One in six hospitality venues are now at risk of closure within the next twelve months, according to recent survey data from hospitality research firm CGA, part of NielsenIQ. Almost a quarter of operators are already running at a loss. A new campaign, fronted by chef Tom Kerridge, is calling for a VAT cut to …

Read more “The Hidden Cost of UK Hospitality’s Decline”

Britain imagines itself as a nation built on past influence, once spanning every corner of the globe. From the long shadow of the Pax Britannica to the blueprints of post-war international order, Britain has often acted as a core architect in the structure of global affairs. In recent decades, Britain’s  ability to act strategically has …

Read more “Foreign Policy Begins at Home: Britain’s Domestic Weakness as Strategic Risk”

Earlier this month, I was travelling down to London. There were a few items on the agenda: an interview lined up during the week, a crisis simulation hosted by RUSI, and enjoying time spent with friends paired with cold drinks and warm weather. While the latter held most of my attention, RUSI’s crisis simulation was …

Read more “Crisis and Resilience”

The litany of crises that plague the United Kingdom dig deep into historic divisions that impact its foreign policy. The overwhelming influence of London’s financial service sector on the world stage as compared to the rest of the country. The fractured love-hate relationship with Europe which has caused multiple constitutional crises. Even the inability of …

Read more “The Ungovernables: Foreign Policy Impacts for Britain”

When we think about the UK on the global stage, we often default to institutions such as Parliament, trade agreements, or foreign policy doctrines. But at forums like the G20, representation is not just institutional, it is deeply human. It is shaped by who sits in the room, what they carry with them, and how …

Read more “What the UK Brings to the Table: Reflections on Representation, Diversity, and Diplomacy from the Y20”

The tensions between the practicalities of consensus, including accommodating certain members’ views, and the principle of addressing current, global crises based on shared values have been particularly clear at the G7 this year.  As a Y7 representative of UK youth on ecological crises to the G7, I was responsible for representing the views of young …

Read more “Practicalities and Principles: Why the G7 Struggles with Climate Change”

Kerosene is part of an indispensable group of molecules imported to fuel British air travel. Given that much of the world’s economy depends on it, it would be no surprise to find that open conflict in the Gulf—the world’s largest concentration of transiting hydrocarbons—has challenged supply to Trumpian levels of deprivation. The United Kingdom’s Department …

Read more “Flying Jets in Modern Directions”