8 May 2025 marked 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe – Victory in Europe Day, first celebrated on 8 May 1945. What has VE Day to do with the European Union? Everything. The European Economic Community – which later became the European Union – was created in the aftermath of the war with one overriding purpose: to build a lasting peace on a continent that had torn itself apart. That was the passionate aim of the EU’s founding architects, including our own

The drama is unfolding as I write and events may well overtake me – but some of these reminiscences may merit a longer durability. At an ephemeral level the military intervention and seizing of the head of government in Venezuela (let alone any future administrative occupation and control) by the US sends a dismal signal to the rest of the world – and could be taken to be an encouragement to Xi Jin Ping to invade Taiwan and Russia to occupy other parts of Europe or those stat

We all know the old trick: if you run an autocratic dictatorship you call it “democratic”! The former DDR (Democratische Deutches Republik – East Germany), DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) readily spring to mind. It fools no-one but sounds good. Yet what happens when a true democracy fails or is degraded? Is the fault of the people or the politicians?  I am not the first to point out that in many countries the concept of democra

In order to combat modern slavery we need to be clear about its complexity and the many various forms it takes in our troubled world. I have been to India and observed the rag-pickers, the children who roam the streets looking for discarded scraps of cloth that can be made into garments once enough is assembled, we have seen on film the children in the wider Indian sub-continent who work in the tanneries and stitch shoes as well as being involved, working by candlelight, in d

Do you get the feeling that the world is in retreat from all those victories which could be claimed since the last world war? Many of these victories were battles that we never felt we might have to revisit - yet here we are again as we see a diminution in the rule of international law, withdrawal from globalisation and resumption of narrow nationalism, world cooperation consensus on climate change and measures to save our planet, the prospect of a resumption of nuclear testi

Essential reading for any student of the First World War is “The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914” by Christopher Clark demonstrating how none of the combatants really wanted or expected war, despite the fear of being left behind in military preparation seen as a threat in others, yet somehow found themselves engaged in the then bloodiest confrontation in world history which left its mark both geopolitically and socially on so many nations and created the pretext

Three key shifts have, thus far, emerged as characteristics of the new U.S. foreign policy.  First, security is now a pay-to-play game.  Second, the U.S. intends to continue to project power, but intends to do so without permanent commitments.  Third, economic and technological competition are emerging are supplanting traditional concepts of deterrence. Consider briefly how each of these shifts play out between now and 2035.

Democracy is currently a dying breed. The Economist Intelligence Unit reported that despite a record election year in 2024,when more than half of the global population went to the polls, its Democracy Index recorded another democratic decline. The average score fell to 5.17, its lowest since the index began in 2006, down from 5.23 in 2023. Only 45% of the world’s population lives in a democracy, 39% under authoritarian rule, and 15% in “hybrid regimes” that combine electoral

The Central and Eastern European Security Forum: Warsaw 16/17 June 2025 The extraordinary resilience, fortitude, perseverance and courage...

On 22 May a treaty was signed by the Prime Ministers of the UK and Mauritius bringing an end to nearly 60 years of tension in the bilateral relationship, the worst violation of human rights perpetrated by the UK in the 20th century, and the UK’s increasing international isolation over Chagos. Compliance with international law, UNGA resolutions and the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and other courts and tribunals will restore the UK’s reputation on the int

On 22nd March 2025, the UCL Kazakh Society proudly hosted the UK-Central Asian Relations Summit, bringing together experts, policymakers, and students to explore the evolving political, economic, and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and Central Asia. The event featured keynote speaker Keith Best, former Member of Parliament for Anglesey and Chair & Chief Executive of the Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust, who shared valuable insights into the future of bilateral coopera

Conflict Resolution and Mediation are subjects that have fuelled academic treatises, articles, opinions, tomes and very many suggestions...

On Thursday 17th January, we hosted an inspiring Sixth Form Conference, welcoming students and staff from six other schools

On the 16th of January 2025, Wimbledon’s Ursuline High School Sixth Form hosted a conference on the theme of ‘Democracy and Truth in a...

For 25 years, TEAM Global’s Members’ Day has provided a unique opportunity to engage with world affairs, aligning with our mission to...

What is the inevitable interpretation in Moscow of Mr Vance’s intervention? It is that a rift has been created in NATO allies, that the US i

Within democratic systems there has been a lurch to the right which tends to harbour those who promulgate such solutions. 2024 was a year ma

My mother and grandmother joined the resistance. My grandmother looked after a safe house, and years...

So, in this increasingly lawless, multi-polar, anti-globalisation and environmentally challenged world, how do we deal with the monsters?

Author: Keith Best TD, MA, Cert in Public Management Services   Observers of the European and global situation will observe the New Year...