The UK is the most influential, powerful nation in Europe, and second only to the U.S. globally, as she approaches Brexit, a leading think tank has concluded.
The report from The Henry Jackson Society claimed the UK is in a “remarkably strong” position to shape its future after Brexit, and its director slammed the “doom and gloom” of anti-Brexit campaigners.
In its “Audit of Geopolitical Capability,” the think-tank calculated the influence of the eight most powerful nations across the globe, ranking Britain second after the U.S.
Western nations, overall, dominated the list. France came in third, China fourth, Germany fifth, India sixth, Japan seventh, and Russia eighth.
Authors ranked nations in seven areas to calculate their overall reach: economics, technological prowess, military strength, cultural prestige, diplomatic leverage, and demographics.
Opponents of Brexit and an independent Britain have argued that the UK will lose power and influence as a sovereign nation, but Executive Director of The Henry Jackson Society, Dr. Alan Mendoza, disagreed.
“For all the doom and gloom surrounding the implications of Brexit, the reality shines through that the UK remains a leading global power nation, with immense soft and hard power capabilities,” he said.
“The lesson of this report is clear: our future is what we choose to make of it.”
The author of the report and Director of the Global Britain Programme at The Henry Jackson Society, James Rogers, added:
“After Brexit, some are worried that the UK is about to begin a period of economic and geopolitical decline.
“But what this audit makes clear is that far from beginning the Brexit process from a position of weakness, the UK is in a remarkably strong position.
“When you analyse data regarding British military strength, technological prowess and cultural prestige, the UK is second only to the United States in its capabilities.
“Even in relation to economic or diplomatic capacity, it is consistently in the top five countries.”