Kelmarsh Hall
September 2025
In September 2025, the Coalition for Global Prosperity hosted our second Future Leaders conference of the year at Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire: a two-day policy retreat exploring Britain’s global role at a time of growing geopolitical instability.
In the historic Kelmarsh Hall we brought together both Conservative and Labour prospective parliamentarians to address the rise in geopolitical challenges in a more contested world.
Over the two days we hosted a series of fireside chats, breakout sessions and a keynote speech from Colonel Tim Collins OBE. Hosted under Chatham House rule, the participants were given exclusive access to geopolitical experts, military figures and diplomats on the intersection of defence, development and diplomacy.
Key themes that the sessions explored included:
The US and the impact of President Trump’s policies on national security
Geopolitical strategy and the rise of instability globally
Cyber security and emerging war technologies
Communicating foreign policy to constituents
Multilateralism in a competing world
Each session drew on the depth of speakers’ experiences with development, defence and diplomacy as vital elements of national and international security.
The Geostrategic Environment and Rising Instability
The Lord Kim Darroch of Kew KCMG, former UK National Security Adviser and former British Ambassador to the United States reflected on the increased need for diplomacy in an increasingly interconnected world, whilst acknowledging the consequent limitations on time-efficient decision making. He noted that the President’s focus on alliances that most closely align with America’s strategic interests will shape US foreign policy, including their relationship with the UK, for years to come.
Who Cares, Wins
Jessica Cunniffe MBE, former speechwriter and special adviser to Prime Ministers
David Cameron and Theresa May,led a breakout session on how to effectively communicate the value of foreign aid to constituents. In this session the participants were able to explore how to effectively galvanise support for foreign affairs on the doorstep in a way that links domestic concerns and international priorities.
The UK’s Role in the World
The Rt Hon. Lord George Robertson of Port Ellen KT, former Secretary General of NATO and Lead Reviewer of the Strategic Defence Review, explored how the Government can build national resilience whilst addressing global concerns. When discussing the Strategic Defence Review, it was noted that preparedness for a hybrid war (a war of both physical and technological means) is vital to ensure the safety and security of the British people.
Cybersecurity and Geopolitical Risk
Major General Jonathan Shaw CB CBE, the first and former Head of Cybersecurity for the British Army remarked on how a political landscape shrouded in “tech warfare” creates further insecurity between nations. With rapid technological advances, training will be the key to success for British defence.
NGOs and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
Major General Rob Thomson CBE DSO, Chief Strategy Officer at the HALO Trust, recounted his experience of post-conflict reconstruction amidst the removal of USAID in lifesaving programmes across conflict affected nations. He explored how mobilising private finance can be the key to maintaining demining efforts in Ukraine and beyond.
Multilateralism in a Changing World
Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, former Permanent Representative of the UK to the UN and former Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development and at the Home Office, discussed how international cooperation is essential to addressing global power and conflict. He acknowledged that addressing geopolitical stressors such as migration will take a scalable political approach from the global community. He explored how a “whole-of-society” approach to geopolitics is essential in this era of multilateralism.