London was looking beautiful in the sunshine when I travelled there for the annual conference of all our ambassadors earlier this month. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor all came to tell us what they expected from our network of embassies around the world. William Hague announced a significant strengthening of our footprint in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific, particularly China and India, which certainly makes sense to those of us in this part of the world. I was pleased to hear the Foreign Secretary publicly describe Australia as one of our closest and most important partners.
I called on the Chief Executive of our tourist agency Visit Britain: a million Australians visit Britain every year. She noted the fantastic publicity generated by the Royal Wedding all around the world. That had certainly been true in Australia. I had attended a splendid dinner hosted by the Australia Britain Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, with some 350 guests watching the big day on large screens. Of course modern Australia is a cosmopolitan multi-cultural society, whose citizens have come from all over the world. But as leader writer Des Houghton in the Brisbane Courier & Mail put it “Britain has played a defining role in our national character…. William and Kate reminded us of that”.
This week I have been in Melbourne. I gave a talk about the British economy to staff at the National Australia Bank’s Talent Academy. NAB is a major investor in the UK with nearly 3 million customers through its ownership of Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank in Scotland. I also addressed a reception with business leaders and with representatives of a number of British-linked organisations, including the Scots and the Welsh. Everywhere I go in Australia I meet these clubs and societies which demonstrate the enduring people to people links between our countries. The Australia Britain Society of Victoria presented me with their striking tie, featuring an Australian Kangaroo and a British Lion. I will be wearing it with pride.