From 5th - 8th October, the Coalition for Global Prosperity hosted a comprehensive programme of panels, discussions, and receptions at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, examining how Britain can lead globally through defence, development, and diplomacy in an increasingly volatile world.

The week opened with ‘Can UK Aid Stop the Boats?’, where The Rt Hon Sir Andrew Mitchell KCMG MP, The Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi, Dr Ranj Alaaldin, and Resham Kotecha explored how aid can tackle the root causes of irregular migration. The panel agreed that migration cannot be solved in isolation, with Sir Andrew Mitchell calling for a new “Marshall Plan” to build global partnerships, and Nadhim Zahawi advocating a three-pronged strategy uniting defence, diplomacy and development. Dr Alaaldin warned that aid is too often trapped in bureaucracy, while Resham Kotecha emphasised the importance of long-term planning and lessons from India’s development success story.

Later that day, ‘From Diplomacy to Drama: Is Soft Power a Worthwhile Investment in a Volatile Era?’ brought together Major General (Retd) James Cowan, Aphra Brandreth MP, David Reed MP, and Patrick Stevens to discuss whether Britain can afford not to invest in soft power. Speakers agreed that hard and soft power are two sides of the same coin. James Cowan warned against “turning inward” and abandoning Britain’s international leadership role, while Aphra Brandreth highlighted that prevention and diplomacy remain the most cost-effective tools for national security. Patrick Stevens called for greater pragmatism in using existing British institutions, from the BBC World Service to the rule of law, as levers of influence.

At ‘Life Under the Taliban: Is Britain Failing Afghanistan’s Women and Girls?’, The Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP, Keshini Navaratnam, Heela Yoon, and Najah Almugahed shared powerful testimony on the collapse of women’s rights under Taliban rule. Speakers described how access to education, healthcare and work has been stripped away since 2021. Heela Yoon warned that denying education “breeds extremism and poverty,” while Wedny Morton called for the UK to use its diplomatic leverage to restore opportunity and accountability.

CGP then hosted ‘In Conversation with The Rt Hon Dame Priti Patel DBE MP’, where the Shadow Foreign Secretary reflected on her time at DFID and set out her vision for Britain’s role in the world. Dame Priti Patel argued for aligning aid more closely with national security, reforming multilateral institutions, and adopting a “ladder of opportunity” approach to development. She warned of the risks of foreign interference at home and called for “a backbone of steel” in confronting authoritarian regimes, while reaffirming the enduring strength of the UK-US relationship.

The discussion turned to Europe’s frontline in ‘Sanctions, Storm Shadow and Strategy: What the UK Can Learn from the War in Ukraine’. Lincoln Jopp MC MP, Aliona Hlivco, The Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP, and Megan Gittoes examined lessons from Ukraine’s defence, from sanctions to modern deterrence. Lincoln Jopp warned that Britain must “prepare the nation for what may lie ahead,” while Sir John Whittingdale emphasised the need to strengthen both hard and soft power. Hlivco cautioned that “Europe is losing key fronts” in technological warfare, and Megan Gittoes called for greater investment in open-source intelligence and humanitarian protection.

In the evening, we hosted a private dinner focused on how the next generation of Conservative politicians and thinkers can mobilise defence, development and diplomacy within their approach to foreign policy.

The dinner brought together members of CGP’s 2023 and 2025 Future Leaders cohorts, alongside senior figures from across the Conservative Party, with The Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE and Major General (Retd) James Cowan CBE DSO in attendance as guest speakers.

Opening remarks underlined the importance of integrating defence, development and diplomacy to maintain a stable and secure global order at a time when soft power is being significantly undermined. The conversation explored how government priorities have shifted from building equitable partnerships with developing nations towards meeting departmental targets — a change that, it was argued, leaves less space for soft power and people-centred policy.

Participants reflected on how pride in Britain’s identity can be strengthened through better storytelling of our past achievements on the world stage. By championing the UK’s record in post-conflict reconstruction and institution-building, a new generation of parliamentarians can better understand the strategic value of soft power.

However, it was clear that diplomacy cannot operate in isolation. To be effective, it must work alongside other pillars of British foreign policy — from pre- and post-conflict engagement to development finance and trade — to build stronger, more resilient partnerships across the world stage.

Day one closed with ‘Britain’s Global Future: Renewing Leadership on International and Coastal Development’, a late-night reception featuring The Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE as guest speaker. The event brought together parliamentarians, campaigners and NGOs to celebrate Britain’s leadership in championing sustainable development and coastal resilience — both vital to global prosperity and national pride.