Commonwealth ties

The King, still undergoing treatment for cancer, will have been disappointed to miss the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. As head of the 75-year-old institution, he cherishes the familial relationships it nurtures across the globe. He was represented by the Queen and a recorded message was relayed to representatives of the 56 countries that make up what he called a unique diplomatic success story.

We live in a world where every historic resentment is stoked against the one-time imperial powers, and especially the UK. So the fact that so many former colonies remain members of a body that grew out of that chequered past is testament to its longevity and diversity, with more than two billion people living in countries ranging from the most populous – India – to some of the world’s smallest. The Commonwealth has even increased in size with the admission of Francophone countries like Cameroon and Rwanda, together with the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique.

Multilateral institutions are often derided as talking shops and some Commonwealth members can be criticised for their lack of democracy and dubious human rights records. But it is the only organisation outside the UN to bring together rich and poor countries globally rather than regionally. It has a role observing elections in member states and provides guidance on administrative, judicial and regulatory reform.

The Commonwealth is a powerful agent for political and economic change in the developing world, with the UK playing a central role. Those who feared Brexit would leave Britain isolated can rest assured that there are other, older ties beyond Europe.