Penny Mordaunt joins the Coalition for Global Prosperity as Chairman of the Board
Penny will take over as Chair from January 2025, bringing high level political insight and extensive experience from across development and defence.
Good development policy must have UK interests at its core, and work in tandem with defence and diplomacy.
Our allies are more important than ever.
Appointment hailed by notable figures across the transatlantic partnership
Rt. Hon. Penny Mordaunt, former Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North and former Secretary of State for Defence, and International Development, will join the Coalition for Global Prosperity as Chairman of the Board. Setting out her stall in the Telegraph (20/11/2024), she says the UK should not pivot away from the US and that we should be optimistic about the future of democracies.
Taking over the role in January 2025, Penny will be making the case for the UK to keep the transatlantic partnership at the heart of its diplomacy, development and defence policy; highlighting that in order to get good solutions to global challenges, such as irregular migration, the centre right needs to remain engaged in geopolitics.
Penny served as the first female Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for State for the Armed Forces. A Brexiteer, she was Minister for Trade Policy. As Paymaster General she was the UK’s first cross-government defensive cyber lead and rewrote the UK’s resilience strategy. During her tenure at DFID, she was the UK Governor of the World Bank. She cites her experience of having been an aid worker in post-revolutionary Romania as well as her experiences as a child carer as part of the reason she ended up in politics.
Today she set out the need for Britain’s relationship with the US to be at the heart of our foreign policy as well as some of the challenges that needed to be met.
Penny Mordaunt, the new Chair, said
“People look at the US election result with pessimism- including Labour’s frontbench. I don’t. Record numbers voted. Democracy is alive and well. We should face the future with confidence. But if we are to be successful in meeting the challenges we face, then we must stay engaged and in partnership with our closest ally. When Britain and America thrive, so does the rest of the world,”
Ryan Henson, CEO of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, said;
“Penny's exemplary leadership in defence and development, and her longstanding support for the world's most vulnerable people, have been demonstrated at the very highest levels of government. Six years after Penny helped launch the Coalition, we are absolutely delighted to welcome her back as our new Chair. ”
The Coalition for Global Prosperity brings together political, military, business and faith leaders who believe that Britain is at its best when it acts as a global leader in development as well as in defence and diplomacy.
Her appointment has been welcomed by many working in trade, defence and development.
Shankar Singham, a leading international trade expert, said on the appointment;
“I have worked with Penny Mordaunt over a number of years, and I know that she will be a powerful force driving the UK to use its critical relationships, most especially with the US to push an agenda where the world is more secure, and its people more prosperous.
She has always fully understood the moral case for open trade and competition in lifting the poorest among us out of poverty, and its role in promoting security and stability so people around the world can thrive.
But with Penny, you also get a very high level of understanding of how these geoeconomic forces affect national security and defence, and importantly how decisions taken in the defence area impact global prosperity. If CGP had to invent a leader, they would invent Penny.”
Clifford D. May, Founder and President of the Foundation for Defense and Democracies, also said;
“Penny Mordaunt is an inspired choice as the new Chairman for the Coalition for Global Prosperity. She is a visionary leader who understands and prioritizes the importance of both the Anglo-American relationship and the broader Atlantic partnership. She comprehends that achieving prosperity requires free people and free markets operating within a secure environment.”
Ambassador Mark A. Green, President and CEO of The Wilson Center and the former Head of USAID said;
“Penny Mordaunt is a strong voice and an articulate leader. Her advocacy for markets and pro-growth policies will make a real difference.”
General The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux GCB CBE DS, formerly the Chief of the Defence Staff, worked with Penny to establish the Commonwealth Veterans programme. This was an innovative use of the aid budget to support those who had served with UK Armed Forces, but been left destitute. He said;
“‘Penny Mordaunt is a decisive strategic leader who understands the hard-edged need to put UK interests first. But, almost uniquely, she appreciates an effective development strategy is key to success. She will be a particularly effective Chairman for the Coalition for Global Prosperity.’”
Mark Sedwell, Former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor , said;
“Penny Mordaunt brings extensive ministerial experience and a deep commitment to the Coalition for Global Prosperity’s combination of defence, diplomacy and development initiatives as the international community wrestles with environmental and socio-economic pressures amidst rising geopolitical tensions.”
Rt. Hon. Alistair Burt, the Coalition’s current chair, is stepping down from the Board to focus on his other pursuits.
