Kate Hoey MP speaks up for the Commonwealth in Parliament

Kate and others at our launch event last year

Kate Hoey, the MP for Vauxhall and a member of our Advisory Board, has been speaking up for the Commonwealth in Parliament today.

During the debate on the European Union Referendum Bill, Kate discussed what Britain's international priorities should be. She said:

"I want to co-operate with all sorts of countries. I would like to see our Commonwealth countries much more involved in what we are doing, as we have treated them scandalously over the years."

As Kate points out, the opportunities the Commonwealth offers are often squandered by the UK to the detriment of ourselves and the other members and citizens. No matter what our relationship is with the EU, we need to reach out and engage with the Commonwealth as fully as possible.

If the UK does leave the EU then our award winning Brexit Prize entry offers an extensive proposal for what steps should be taken. If we remain a member then there is still much to do both in attempting to reform aspects of the institution and pushing for more free trade deals with Commonwealth countries.

In either case we can also reach out to the Commonwealth on issues such as immigration. Our upcoming report "How to Solve a Problem Like a Visa" will offer six key proposals to improve the parlous state of Commonwealth immigration.

The report will be launched on 3rd November. There will be an event in Parliament on the morning of 3rd November to launch the report. More details are available on the Facebook event (don't forget to like our page too) and you can reserve your place by emailing events@commonwealth-exchange.org.