The latest annual Global Soft Power Index was released overnight. It’s run by consultancy Brand Finance which polls 170,000 people globally on perceptions of the 193 UN member state nations on 55 different metrics. It’s good news for Xi…
The UK has always come second to the US in the global league table but is this time pipped to the position by the Chinese who score their highest ever 72.8 out of 100. Progress stemming from initiatives like the Belt and Road…
The UK’s drop to third place “reflects a period of stagnation in its nation brand perceptions” with no progress on the ‘Business and Trade’ as well as ‘Governance’ metrics. This comes as Lammy launches his much-vaunted “UK Soft Power Council” which will help “by bringing together experts from across culture, sport, the creative industries and geopolitics.” Going well then…
As China pulls ahead of the UK Labour is increasingly keen to cosy up to Xi Jinping’s regime and is keen to boost its hard power by handing the strategically-vital Chagos Islands to its ally Mauritius. Nice one…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”