John Baron MP questions Defence Secretary on Soft Power

MP pleased that Defence Secretary thinks there isn’t enough British Council

This afternoon, during Defence Questions in the House of Commons, John Baron MP asked the Secretary of State for Defence about the contribution of Britain’s soft power to its international engagement, and whether it was being considered as part of the Government’s ongoing Integrated Review into British foreign policy.

In the Chamber, John asked,

“As Chairman of the British Council All Party Parliamentary Group, I suggest soft power can pay for itself many times over by building links and improving trust and understanding, all of which make conflict less likely. As the Government assesses our international engagement, does my Rt Hon Friend agree with me that soft power must be a consideration alongside traditional hard power, and can he assure me that he will make the case for soft power when it comes to the Government’s Integrated Review?”

The Secretary of State responded that the British Council is an outstanding institution, and that in his opinion there is not enough of it around the world. He also agreed that the Integrated Review must consider soft power alongside hard power.

John said afterwards,

“I was very pleased with the Secretary of State’s response, in which he agreed that when designing our future foreign engagement soft power must be considered alongside more traditional hard power. Spending on soft power is a sound investment, and the British Council APPG will continue to remind the Government of this important fact.”

“As Chairman of the British Council APPG, I was also pleased that the Secretary of State for Defence believes that there is ‘not enough’ of the British Council around the world. It does an excellent job in many countries, and the Secretary of State’s words will be warmly received by the dedicated team at the British Council.”