On March 9th, 2021, San Marino Think Tank in collaboration with Esharelife Think Tank and Larkspur International was pleased to organise a virtual conversation with the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, one of the most influential and insightful politicians of our time.
The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP has been a Member of Parliament for North Somerset since 1992. In John Major’s Government, he served as a Minister at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and as Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of the Treasury). He had previously served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Howard, then Home Secretary. Dr Liam Fox MP served as Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Defence from 2010 to 2011.
The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, former Secretary of State for International Trade with a long political career within the UK government, participated as Keynote Speaker of the event. The Honorary Consul, Dr Maurizio Bragagni, and Mr Simon Blagden, both moderators of the event, welcomed Dr Fox and several guests who joined the event from different parts of the world, whether politicians, CEOs or part of academia.
The Honorable Guest started the conversation by providing his views on both the UK and international economy in a post-Covid era. While broadly welcoming the budget debate, Dr Fox recognized the unprecedentedly difficult time we are now facing. He stated the importance of restrictions on the economy to face this external issue and the urgency to tackle some UK underlying issues.
Dr Fox also mentioned global trade, which, as he reminded, started to contract even before the pandemic. To boost global trade, he then continued, several issues need to be tackled, such as trade tensions between some major countries that need to be resolved and the rise of protectionism, a gradually increasing problem in the last decade.
On post-Brexit related issues, he stated that the UK can and needs to help shape global trade policy, for example by concluding a multilateral agreement with the WTO or a plurilateral agreement working to open economies.
Finally, Dr Fox warned the audience about the Union’s issue, particularly the Scottish and Northern Irish ones. He valued the Union hugely and underlined that the UK had benefited enormously from it.
During a lively Q&A session, a frank exchange of views between Dr Fox and the participants contributed to the successful outcome of this event. Participants were able to learn from Dr Fox’s vast expertise dealing with the government and global issues, as well as to get an insight into the extraordinary efforts of the UK government to serve the best interests of its citizens, to build better and in a sustainable way our future and to maintain its reputation worldwide.
Dr Fox has again proved himself a brilliant and open person, and participants were able to learn from his vast expertise, fascinating insights and extended knowledge on every aspect of the UK government policies, both in a post-Brexit era and a post-Covid world.
Although this was a free event, if you would like to make a small donation to help the children in Kenya supported by Esharelife Foundation, please visit esharelife.org or virgin money giving.
