CF of CANZUK Michaelmas ‘24 newsletter
Good afternoon,
As we approach the end of 2024, I reflect on the great successes of the past year for the Conservative Friends of CANZUK. Whether it be our three events highlighting the great support for CANZUK throughout the conservative movement, our work with national media, or background work with our fellow colleagues in the other realms, we can safely say that CANZUK has been put back on the agenda.
In this Michaelmas edition, we discuss our activities over the term and highlight activities across the realms which, if not purposefully supporting CANZUK, are nevertheless deepening ties between the four realms.
Looking forward to 2025, we are pleased to announce that our formal launch will take place on the 12th of March in the Jubilee Room of the Palace of Westminster. Please do save the date in your diaries. We will send formal invitations and further information to you in the new year. We hope you will be able to join us in a celebration of CANZUK and our work so far.
We have a raft of events planned, for which we will, of course, keep you updated. As always, a great ‘thank you’ to you, our patrons and our supporters, for backing this most important of missions.
On behalf of everyone on the Conservative Friends of CANZUK committee, may I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Elliott Malik
Director and Secretary of the Conservative Friends of CANZUK
Our work
As mentioned in our Anniversary special, we held two events at the Conservative Party Conference: a fringe drinks reception and a panel discussion kindly hosted by the Bruges Group.
I, along with our vice-President, Andrew Rosindell MP, and one of our patrons, Peter Bedford MP, co-authored an article for Conservative Home which discussed how the UK joining the CPTPP on the 15th of December could turbo-charge CANZUK.
The Sunday Telegraph featured a ‘Letter to the Editor’ which highlighted the CPTPP’s potential for CANZUK. Thank you to the Lords Hannan and Frost, and to Andrew Rosindell, Peter Bedford, Bob Blackman, Sir Christopher Chope, and Lewis Cocking MPs for signing it.
Our blog continues to be populated, with many guest pieces being gratefully received. We hope to publish these in the new year. If anyone wishes to submit an entry, please do contact us. A CANZUK ‘republic of letters’ will provide the intellectual firepower for this concepts.
We have deepened ties with the Canadian Conservatives and Australian Liberals. In the new year, we will continue our work to formalise these relationships.
Deepening ties between the realms
Sir Keir Starmer (UK) and Anthony Albanese (Australia) met during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in October to discuss closer cooperation on climate and energy, security, and trade and investment links.
· They agreed to enhance climate and energy cooperation, particularly via the Australia-UK Climate and Energy Partnership and the Australia-UK Renewable Hydrogen Innovation Partnership Program [sic];
· They celebrated the increased investment which will flow due to the CPTPP and is flowing due to the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement; and
· They reaffirmed September’s commitment to negotiate a bilateral treaty on the SSN-AUKUS nuclear submarine.
Kemi Badenoch (UK) and Pierre Poilievre (Canada) met for the first time as leaders of their parties during November’s International Democrat Union meeting. The two highlighted their instant connection and promised that the sister conservative parties would work closely with one another in the future.
On the 15th of December, the United Kingdom acceded to the CPTPP. For the first time, all four CANZUK realms are within the same free trade area. We pay tribute to the last Conservative Government for negotiating our accession to this important and powerful trading bloc.
P.S. We would like to congratulate:
Our vice-President, Andrew Rosindell MP, on being appointed Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Our Events & Fundraising Officer, Danielle Terry, on her engagement