IS IT TIME FOR THE OLD COLONIAL-ERA IDEA OF CANZAK TO BE RE-APPRAISED? RICHARD SMITH ARGUES THAT IT’S NEVER BEEN MORE TIMELY.
‘The 51st state’ has been a controversial term in the news over recent months that, for many, Trump supporters nowithstanding, has caused concern. However, others have seen it as a rallying cry to shore up a fledgling movement comprising Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK (CANZUK). Something once retired as a jingoistic idea – belonging to bygone empire days – is now something many are revisiting as a legitimate concept – something that I believe the SDP would benefit by backing, and that we would all benefit from by supporting on a personal level.
The idea of CANZUK has been around in some variety since its first mention by William David McIntyre in the 1960s – and, while it has since tended to be seen as a colonial hangover, this is to belie its potential as a concept around which a shared legal, language, culture and history could coalesce to benefit not only the world, but the countries within that union. This is an aspect that ties in with the SDP’s foreign affairs policy, joining into a strong strategic defence pact that would promote and defend parliamentary democracy and individual liberty throughout the world, the shared democratic and legal systems of the four nations acting as a goal to which others might aspire.
The strategic defence aspect is a key part due to the rise of new global powers and the inconsistency of previously steadfast allies. In both world wars, Canada, Australia and New Zealand joined within days of the UK declaring war and fought with us to defend freedom from start to end, at great personal loss to their own countries.
This is something we should be considering now when looking at the current situation and the rhetoric around Canada being the ‘51st State’ as well as the current economic hardships being imposed upon the nations by recent excessive tariffs from other allies. CANZUK would foster a defence agreement, which could be built on an existing framework the likes of Five Eyes. It would also enable all the countries to have an equal footing, and it would build upon the already present ability for personnel to transfer between each country’s military.
Another benefit to a CANZUK union is the creation of a free trade economic zone, backed by free movement amongst the nations. With over-lapping culture, environmental goals and labour rights, the economic benefit of having a mobile and free workforce will be immeasurable, and whilst this does go against the SDP’s immigration policy being skills and needs based, I believe a CANZUK free movement would provide a net positive gain, bringing fresh-but-shared skills to meet the needs of the UK and vice versa.
With COVID-19 only a few years ago showing us how fragile global supply chains can be, having a shared economic agreement with countries that also share our values would protect us from any hostile dependency. With this in mind a free flowing CANZUK corridor of trade and talent looks like a sensible insurance policy.
CANZAK would be, finally, an expression of soft power – which is the real power in geopolitics today. A shared media, education, sport and humour not only acts as a diplomatic cheat code by making conversation more natural, having no need for translation or accidental cultural mishaps, but it is also a massive benefit to carrying public opinion. This would not be a political agreement – it would be more like holding a family dinner. The projection and influence this would create would act as a bastion to promote social liberty worldwide.
You may believe I am advocating for us to put ‘all our eggs in one basket.’ I am not. Instead, I aim for us to support a CANZUK ideal that runs parallel to NATO and the EU, as a safeguard against the breakdown of older alliances and a strong step towards building a mutually-beneficial future.
The world is rapidly changing. Old reliable friends and alliances are under strain and new threats, from climate change to economic warfare, require a new kind of cooperation. CANZUK is not just an expression of some ‘pat on the back, cling to the past’ ethos, but a solid step forward. The SDP policy of fostering a defence pact is a step in the right direction. However, with the world becoming more unpredictable, it is the time for Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK to stand together.
