What allies want: Appraising Britain’s defence relationships

The Council on Geostrategy is pleased to invite you to our upcoming public panel event, ‘What Allies Want: Appraising Britain’s Defence Relationships’, taking place on Monday, 11th November 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at the Palace of Westminster.

This event is part of our Strategic Advantage Cell programme, which examines how the United Kingdom can maximise its influence and achieve national objectives with greater efficiency and effectiveness. The programme focuses on how the UK can enhance its strategic position in relation to competitors, addressing key challenges in British defence and security.

This instalment marks the launch of the policy paper by William Freer and Alexander Lanoszka, ‘What Allies Want: Appraising Britain’s Defence Relationships’. The paper delves into what the UK’s key allies value in their partnerships with Britain, their future expectations, and the broader implications for managing these relationships. It also provides recommendations for strengthening these alliances to reinforce the UK’s strategic advantage.

The panel will be chaired by The Rt. Hon. the Lord Spellar, and will include William Freer, Research Fellow on National Security; David Hogan-Hern, Strategy Director for the Ministry of Defence; Baroness Smith of Newnham, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson; and Professor James Bergeron, Political Adviser for NATO Maritime Command.

Speakers

David Hogan-Hern

• Strategy Director, Ministry of Defence
  David Hogan-Hern is the Strategy Director at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), having held this role since November 2022. He has two decades of experience across the Ministry of Defence, Foreign Office, Cabinet Office, and the Royal Household. Some of his previous roles include Director of the Euro-Atlantic Security Policy Unit, MOD; Deputy Director for Counter-Terrorism, Cabinet Office; Head of Africa and Middle East, MOD; Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary (Des Browne), and Policy Director for the Joint Expeditionary Force.

William Freer

• Research Fellow (National Security), Council on Geostrategy
  William Freer is a Research Fellow in National Security and leads the Strategic Advantage Cell with Gabriel Elefteriu. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. A War Studies graduate from King’s College London, his academic work focused on British-American grand strategy in the Cold War and post-Cold War era, especially how Britain managed military overstretch, economic stagnation, and national security during the withdrawal from ‘East of Suez’ (1957-1971). He previously worked as a consultant for a firm which specialised in research, advisory work and government procurement, both in Britain and internationally.

Professor James Henry Bergeron

• Political Advisor, NATO Allied Maritime Command
  Prof. James Henry Bergeron currently serves as Political Advisor at Allied Maritime Command. He has served as a foreign policy advisor to ten senior American and NATO Commanders in the fields of maritime and joint expeditionary operations, including as the advisor to Naval Striking and Support Forces in NATO. He is regularly consulted on NATO maritime strategy, NATO-EU relations, and was one of the drafters of the Alliance Maritime Strategy.

Baroness Smith of Newnham

• Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson
  Baroness Smith of Newnham is the Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson and has been since 2019. She was made a life peer of the House of Lords in 2014, having previously served as a local councillor for Cambridge County Council for Newnham from 2003 to 2015. Baroness Smith is also a successful academic, having lectured in international relations and European affairs across Europe before being appointed a Professor of European Politics in the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University.

Chair

The Rt. Hon. Lord Spellar

• The Rt. Hon. Lord Spellar was Member of Parliament for Warley (1992-2024). He was Vice Chair of the Defence Select Committee from 2020 to 2024, having previously been a member from 2015 to 2019. He was the Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2010 to 2015. Before that, he was appointed as the Minister for Northern Ireland from 2003 to 2005 and the Minister for Armed Forces from 1999 to 2001. He was appointed as a life Peer in 2024.

Tickets

Please note that we reserve the right to withdraw registrations.

Venue