The Council on Geostrategy has launched to promote new geostrategic thinking for Britain, backed by an Advisory Council which includes the heads of both the Foreign Affairs and Defence select committees of the House of Commons.
Launching ahead of the forthcoming integrated review, the Council on Geostrategy will promote a robust, realistic and responsible British geostrategy to make Britain more united, stronger and greener.
Co-founded by James Rogers and Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, the Council will run three work streams, the Strong Britain Initiative, the Geopolitics Programme and the Environmental Security Programme. The Strong Britain Initiative will focus on ways to enhance Britain’s national unity and strategic autonomy as well as how Britain can lead allies and partners in support of a free and open international order. The Geopolitics Programme will assess the challenges to Britain and the international order posed by large authoritarian and revisionist powers. The Environmental Security Programme, to launch later this year, will address the security problems brought on by the climate crisis and advocate for innovative and technology-driven solutions to address these challenges, as well as enhanced climate diplomacy.
In addition to regular research, the Council on Geostrategy will host a new online magazine, Britain’s World, a regular events programme and the Geostrategy360° podcast. In the coming weeks, we will also be launching the On Britannia twice-weekly newsletter for all British geostrategy news.
The Council on Geostrategy has been backed by an Advisory Council consisting of 10 prominent persons with significant experience and expertise in matters relating to geostrategy as well as the broader aims of the Council. The 10 members are:
- Andrew Bowie MP, Member of Parliament for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
- The Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the Defence Select Committee and Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East
- James Gray MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions and Member of Parliament for North Wiltshire
- Dr Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE, Chair of Coltraco Ultrasonics
- Prof. Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King’s College, London
- Edward Lucas, Senior Vice-President at the Centre for European Policy Analysis and former Senior Editor for The Economist
- Maj. Gen. (rtd.) Mitch Mitchell CB MBE, former Director of the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, and currently a Programme Director at Mott-McDonald
- The Rt. Hon. Baroness Neville Jones DCMG, Member of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, former Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism
- The Rt. Hon. The Lord Risby, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Algeria and Lebanon and Member of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee
- Royston Smith MP, Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen and Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
- Tom Tugendhat MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and the China Research Group and Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling
Concerning the need for new geostrategic thinking in Britain, James Rogers, Director of Research at the Council on Geostrategy said:
Given the dearth of high-quality geostrategic thinking in Britain at the current time, we have established the Council on Geostrategy. The Council will provide innovative new ideas to help make Britain more united, stronger and greener.
Our world is under threat from large authoritarian powers and the environmental crisis, which often go hand-in-hand. This is the right time to think harder about Britain’s future, as well as the ways and means needed to deal with the problems before us.
Commenting on the Advisory Council, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, Director of Strategy at the Council on Geostrategy said:
Our Advisory Council comprises a group of eminent persons who share a keen interest and dedication to making the United Kingdom, and other free and open nations, more united, stronger and greener.
Each member brings a rich set of expertise and experience in foreign affairs and international security. We are looking forward to actively working with the Council to promote a robust, realistic and responsible British geostrategy.
Commenting on why the launch of this new think-tank is welcome, Lord Risby, Member of the Council on Geostrategy’s Advisory Council said:
In our long history it has been events, both foreseen and unforeseen , which demand reappraisal and rethink of our life as a nation, both domestically and internationally. Now is precisely that moment again, and in consequence this is what the newly founded Council on Geostrategy has as its mission and clear objective.