Advance Britannia

Advance Britannia

Steady as she goes is no longer an option. The briefest look at any recent newspaper is enough to tell you that this country faces a bewildering array of challenges; and the briefest look at the country is enough to tell you that we are not ready for them.

Our economy is growing too slowly and the risk of recession looks ever more real; parts of our cities still bear the scars of last summer’s riots and four British citizens recently admitted plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange; faith in the media and in the Police has collapsed in the wake of phone hacking while the scandals surrounding MPs’ expenses and cash for access have eroded trust in our politics.

And that's just at home. Internationally, the West looks like yesterday's news, China is knocking on the door of economic pre-eminence and Iran is well on the way to becoming a nuclear power and kicking off a Middle Eastern arms race.

As I say, we are not ready to face these challenges. Yet. It is the argument of these essays that Britain can overcome these difficulties and emerge well-placed to succeed in the twenty first century.

The rationale for this ambitious view is that we are in a stronger starting position than we often assume and still have access to a wealth of untapped resources.

This is a great country but is there anyone who believes that we have made the most of our potential? We could be (and will soon need to be) much stronger, richer and more united than we are at preset. This will mean making the most of our collective potential. We need to mobilise the ideas, talents and efforts of British citizens, communities and businesses.

Some of the most striking concentrations of wasted potential are to be found amongst those at the younger and older ends of the age spectrum. It is appalling that so many of our young people feel uninspired, or find themselves unable, to make a contribution to our economy or to national life more broadly. These essays set out some ways in which we can provide the inspiration and training that they need.

Problems are different but no less acute at the other end of the age range where our woefully outdated approach to retirement makes it difficult for some of our most able and experienced citizens to continue to lead the productive lives to which they are accustomed and suited. We need to understand more about retirement and how we can make it a more positive experience. It is senseless to squander the talents of so many people and these essays set out some of the ways in which we can begin to do better.

There is unexplored potential in our politics too. All Britons ages have a stake in our political system and, looking at the popularity of many of our charities and campaigning organisations, there can be no doubting the desire of many people to have their say and change this country for the better. Sadly, however, too much of the insight and passion that goes into these organisations does not make it into our national debate. People feel put off by party politics and by the shenanigans of party politicians. Valuable contributions are lost. These essays suggest ways in which Parliament can be opened up so that more people can make their voices heard at the highest levels of Government. The closer Parliament and the legislative process are to the people whom they are designed to serve, the better they will be.

We can also get more out of our commerce. This country is home to many successful businesses but who doubts that they would be more successful still if they weren't stifled by burdensome regulation and an uncompetitive tax system? We should stop holding ourselves back. We should also stop focussing too narrowly on particular industry sectors and on particular areas of the country. Rather we should in future make sure that, when tax systems, regulatory regimes, infrastructure investment plans and international marketing campaigns are drawn up, the Government listens to representatives of businesses of all sizes, from all industry sectors and from all over the country. These essays set out ways in which we can make that happen.

Making more of our potential at home will make us stronger abroad but here, again, there is unexplored potential to exploit. Our relationship with the European Union is a plus but it is also the source of plenty of problems and it could deliver far more for us – these essays set out ways in which we can make it more efficient and effective. Beyond the European Union, the growth of other powers will provide new markets as well as opportunities for alliances and cooperation – we need to be ready when these opportunities appear. We also need to be ready to meet future international threats when they arise.

Inevitably the next few years will be more than a little bumpy. We cannot avoid that. We do not, however, have to lurch chaotically from crisis to crisis. There is an opportunity now to take a step back from the day’s headlines, do some long term thinking and take some long term steps. We must make sure that we are in the best shape possible to meet the challenges that the future holds. This means that we will have to stop wasting our national potential on the gross and wanton scale that has been our habit in recent years. These essays are about the ways in which we can make the most of our collective talent and opportunities.

Things will get nasty if we don’t but the results could be mightily impressive if we do.

London, February 2012

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