Today the Foreign Affairs Committee announces a new inquiry into the
extent and effectiveness of the UK's soft power.
The inquiry will examine the Government's upcoming soft power
strategy and asks whether the UK's approach to soft power
complements the Government's wider foreign policy objectives.
This inquiry runs concurrent to the Government's launch of the
Soft Power Council and its ongoing Soft Power review. Throughout
the course of this inquiry, the Foreign Affairs Committee will
seek to scrutinise both.
This inquiry considers what tangible advantages soft power brings
to the UK. In particular, it will explore the UK's soft power
strengths, focusing on diplomacy, foreign policy, post-conflict
reconstruction, commitment to the rules-based international
order, culture, trade, the media, the economy and education. The
inquiry will examine what has worked and where improvements might
be made.
It also asks how the UK's soft power might be measured and
considers how the UK's soft power offering compares to its allies
and adversaries around the world. Countries including China,
India, Russia and Turkey have invested significantly in their
soft power offerings globally. This inquiry will explore what, in
this environment, the UK's “USP” might be.
This inquiry will be long-running and is likely to last until the
end of this Parliament. There is likely to be a series of
outputs, including interim reports and correspondence, rather
than one single report.
The deadline for the call for evidence is Monday
3 March 2025.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Dame MP, said:
“The UK is a world leader when it comes to soft power, punching
well above our weight. The UK is largely seen as a force for
good, and a fair and balanced voice on the world stage. Many of
our artistic and cultural institutions are well-loved and widely
recognised. The British values of liberalism, tolerance and
respect for the rule of law are emulated across the world.
“While soft power is one of the UK's greatest strengths, we can't
afford to be complacent. Countries such as China, Russia and
India are building up their soft power offer in the form of
diplomatic, educational and cultural exchanges, and have shown
they will fill any gaps left by the UK and other like-minded
countries moving on. While the UK has successfully made the case
for democratic values in the past, new, competing narratives seek
to undermine this.
“This inquiry will ask how the UK can maintain its status as a
soft power superpower. We will examine the UK Government's soft
power strategy, asking how this strategy complements our wider
foreign policy objectives. The inquiry will ask what tangible
benefits soft power delivers to the UK and will examine the new
Soft Power Council.
“As soft power cuts across many facets of foreign policy, this
inquiry will be open-ended and is likely to run until the end of
the Parliament. We plan on producing a number of outputs focusing
on different aspects of soft power and for soft power to be a
thread through the rest of our work.
“This initial call for evidence will help us to build a picture
of the UK's current soft power – we want to know what the UK's
strengths and weakness are, and what strategy the Government
should adopt in order to maintain our soft power advantage”.
The Committee welcomes written evidence on:
- Why is soft power important? How might this concept be
measured? What tangible benefits does soft power provide to the
UK's international relationships? To trade? To support for the
rules-based international order?
- What should the objective of soft power be, for example, to
achieve economic growth for the UK overseas, bolster its
influence or other?
- What are the UK's soft power strengths, with reference to
diplomacy, post-conflict reconstruction, culture, the media, the
economy and education? How is the UK perceived overseas? In what
ways does this perception differ regionally or by country?
- How do FCDO arms-length bodies, including the British
Council, BBC World Service and British International Investment,
contribute towards the UK's soft power strengths? What is the
value for money of these organisations, when considering soft
power returns?
- What role does soft power play in the UK's role as a leading
actor in conflict resolution?
- How effective is the FCDO in leading HMG's soft power
approach across Government, and overseas? Where can these efforts
be improved? What contribution should the Soft Power Council
make?
- How does HMG demonstrate commitment to supporting British
soft power sectors abroad?
- How might the FCDO engage with the media and the private
sector to strengthen its soft power offering?
- How does soft power interact with and complement the UK's
foreign policy? In what ways does soft power support the UK's
foreign policy? Are there challenges in this relationship?
- How does the UK counter the soft power influence and
narrative of other major powers including China, India, Russia
and Turkey?
- What role do regional and international organisations play in
bolstering the UK's soft power offer? How might the UK build
partnerships and alliances with these organisations to achieve
its soft power goals?
