Foreword

Lord Hague of Richmond, Former Foreign Secretary and Leader of the Conservative Party

“Would you still go into politics, if you were a young person now?” is one of the questions I am invariably asked when
I meet someone for the first time. To which, despite all the many demands of public office particularly in the social media age, the answer is an unequivocal “Yes”.

The coming decades are set to force upon us the most profound political, social, and technological challenges in the history of the world. How do we arrest climate change, control artificial intelligence, manage mass migration, stop pandemics, and prevent global conflict? Each of these questions will be decided by the next generation of political leaders. If you care about the future of our country and genuinely want to help solve these seemingly intractable geopolitical problems, would you really opt for a quiet life?

But getting more dedicated, high-quality people who care about such issues into Parliament is only half the battle. We also need to equip them with the experience and confidence to contribute to debates on thorny geopolitical problems from the moment they take their seats on the green benches.

In the new age of acceleration, MPs will need to respond quickly to fast-moving developments, from the war in Ukraine to technological breakthroughs that raise new defence and security complications, such as artificial intelligence. Gone too are the days of the long parliamentary apprenticeship. Within one parliament, newly elected MPs can find themselves running a select committee, as Tom Tugendhat did, or running an important government department, as Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho is now doing.

Meanwhile, there is a long-term trend towards political parties selecting candidates from the local constituency they seek to represent, and away from candidates with expertise in responding to national and international political problems. This makes
the challenge of equipping the next MPs with expertise in foreign affairs all the more urgent.

The Future Leaders programme from the Coalition for Global Prosperity is, therefore, an invaluable initiative, helping parliamentary candidates to broaden their knowledge, connections and experiences on areas of foreign policy. From convening groups of senior political figures to advise candidates to arranging visits to refugee camps in the Middle East, the programme has empowered many soon-to-be MPs with the knowledge to speak with authority on foreign policy.

The rich fruits of this programme are plain to see in this collection of essays from participating candidates. With contributions on complex topics ranging from Britain’s soft power, to education, to the role of technology in development, and the importance
of critical minerals, it is clear that the new intake of MPs will not be lacking in experience or enthusiasm for international affairs. I look forward to seeing many of the participating candidates debating these thoughtful arguments and ideas on the floor of the House of Commons in the next parliament.