"Conservative" silence on the British Council may undermine their value-promoting credentials

The Conservative party’s security proposals have sparked a bit of debate, with many on the right concerned that democracy-promotion is getting short shrift. A lot of the attention has focused on Pauline Neville-Jones’ role in a future government, rather than anything the documents say. Though she is likely to take over Lord West’s job, rather than become the Prime Minister Cameron’s adviser -– in their security blueprint, the role of National Security Adviser is described as being taken up by “an official” –- many fear Dame Neville-Jones’ old-school, realist instincts will unduly influence Tory policy.

But if the Tories want to underline that the party remains committed to promoting democratic values and engaging Al Qaeda’s “narrative” in the Islamic world, it ought to have said more about the role of the British Council. As things stand, the Conservative documents mention the 75-year-old institution only once – and though it is in positive terms, the reader is left none the wiser about how it would be operate differently under a Tory administration.