By Lord Kim Darroch
Chairperson, Best for Britain
I am delighted today to be taking up the role of Chair at Best for Britain. I want to start by thanking my predecessor Mark Malloch-Brown for steering the organisation so brilliantly for the past four years.
I watched Best for Britain’s relaunch in April this year with a great deal of interest. I found myself agreeing with the values Naomi set out in her CEO’s speech. Values of openness, internationalism, tolerance and democratic accountability. If you have not watched that speech, I urge you to do so here. It convinced me of the very real need for Best for Britain to stay on the pitch and I’ve been impressed to see it successfully turn from a temporary campaign against Brexit, to a permanent organisation for internationalist values.
And I am nothing if not an internationalist. My most recent post was as the U.K. Ambassador to the United States. But I’ve worn many hats. My 40-year career as a diplomat took me all over the world, from Tokyo, to Rome, to Brussels and Washington. I have advised both Labour and Conservative Prime Ministers, I have been National Security Adviser, and U.K. Permanent Representative to the European Union.
So I don’t need to tell you that between the climate crisis, threats from terrorism and global pandemics, and threats to our supply chains and opportunities for British people, our country faces great challenges in the immediate future. Challenges that we can only hope to overcome by working with others around the world, particularly our nearest neighbours in Europe.
I know that Britain has always been strongest when working with our friends and that we show our greatest leadership when setting an example for other nations to follow - upholding not breaking international treaties, championing not eroding democracy, working with not against our allies.
I am delighted to join Best for Britain’s Board and our campaign for strengthened relations abroad and better democracy at home.
None of what we achieve would be possible without you, our supporters, who are so generous with your energy, time and donations. Thank you.
There is much to be done, as we work to deliver a confident, united and more equal Britain, that is once again respected on the world stage. And I look forward to doing it with you.
Lord Kim Darroch
Chairperson, Best for Britain
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We believe that a truly ‘Global Britain’ stands firm in its commitment to the treaties that it signs, the financial aid it promises countries that need it most, and sets a clear example for all nations to follow.
We believe that no vote, in any part of the UK, should be considered ‘wasted’; that the only way to solve fundamental problems in our society, and in our politics, is to make all votes matter through electoral reform.
We believe that no country can face the challenge of climate change alone, and that it is only through close-knit co-operation with our neighbours, as well as nations around the globe, that we can start to reverse its destructive effects, before it is too late.
We believe that when faced with the threat of superpowers controlled by those who seek to reduce the rights of the individual, or those that threaten international liberal democracy, we must stand together with our friends and allies, particularly our neighbours in Europe.
We believe that our democracy can only be improved if public trust in politics and political processes is restored. A more decentralised approach to decision making would put power back into the hands of local communities and help to re-enfranchise the disenfranchised.
We believe that there are many reasons to be hopeful. Technology, used for good, has the ability to solve or drastically reduce many of the world’s crises, and to boost educational attainment, health outcomes, and better distribute the proceeds of economic growth.
We believe that in the face of Covid-19, groundbreaking decisions need to be taken; that alternative social and financial models, such as Universal Basic Income, should be explored to address unprecedented economic shocks and depression.
We believe that Britain’s commitments to the rights of minorities should be a beacon for the world, setting out a vision of equality that nations aspire to achieve. And that any rolling back of protections for those living in Britain, or those seeking asylum here, must be prevented at all costs.
We believe that there is more that unites us than divides us, and that the culture war being waged for political interests on the people of this country exposes small disagreements and turns them into deep-running societal divides. We stand firm in our commitment to reuniting the nation, building consensus, and providing the common ground that paves the way for a moderate, forward-thinking government to take us back to being world-leading, not world-beating.
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