UK is now ‘the second largest global power’

BRITAIN is the most influential power in Europe and second only to the US in the world, according to an influential think-tank.

The Henry Jackson Society rejects the ‘doom and gloom’ around Brexit and finds that the UK remains a ‘leading global power nation’. Its report puts the UK ahead of EU nations such as Germany and France.

It also concludes that globally, it is more influential than economic powerhouses such as China and India.

The authors evaluated Britain’s standing against seven measures – economics, technological prowess, military strength, cultural ‘prestige’, diplomatic ‘leverage’ and demographics. It put the US on top, with Britain second, followed by France, China, Germany, India, Japan and Russia.

Critics of Brexit argue that leaving the EU will undermine Britain’s influence in the world.

But the society’s Alan Mendoza said: ‘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. The lesson of this report is clear: our future is what we choose to make of it.’