Soft power takes decades to build and no time to squander. As we ramp up defence spending, it would be incoherent to try to part-pay for it by hollowing out the British Council.
The British Council is at the heart of Britain’s global influence – fostering education, English-language skills, cultural exchange and mutual understanding in more than 100 countries.
Yet funding pressures and the burden of a £197m loan now mean that it may close its doors in as many as 60 countries (British Council ‘may have to close in 60 countries’ amid cuts to aid budget, 8 June).
As the United States retreats and rival states expand their global presence, this is the moment to invest in institutions such as the British Council and the BBC World Service, not to make false economies.
Shuttering British Council offices would be a failure to recognise the obvious truth that hard and soft power work in a complementary and mutually reinforcing way. One secures borders and deters enemies; the other opens minds and wins friends.
The UK cannot hope to remain globally influential without both.
Jo Johnson
Former minister for universities, science, research and innovation
• Curtailing the work of the British Council overseas would be a very shortsighted move. The dividend in influence and goodwill for the UK from minimal financial investment is significant and beneficial. I spent 25 years working on pro-democracy missions in 35 new and emerging democracies across four continents and I experienced at first-hand the gratitude of local people for the projects run by the British Council.
In addition to its many English language and literature courses, it tailored its smaller projects to the particular needs of each country. I particularly appreciated the flexibility of the modest budgets controlled by the local British Council boss to back up the work on electoral practice, governance and representation by providing grants for training, civic education and similar needs.
One thing is sure: such is the desire for literacy and education in developing countries, young people will seek to find it in the programmes offered by other countries.
Michael Meadowcroft
Leeds
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