By Ryan Lee
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt recently addressed an audience at the LSE Centre Building on 6 March 2025, accepting student questions on various topics, ranging from the NHS to the future of the United Kingdom. Hosted by the LSESU Conservative Society, the MP for Godalming and Ash was joined by Professor Tony Travers of the Government Department.
The talk comes as Hunt’s new book, “Can We be Great Again?: Why a Dangerous World Needs Britain”, is set to be published in June later this year. As he previewed the book at the event, he argued for a bigger British role on the world stage, emphasising its historical record and positioning as a leading innovator.
“This is a really dangerous world right now,” Hunt said, while referring to the number of global conflict deaths in recent years, which has hit its highest toll since the end of the Cold War. He posed the post-World War II international order as one that encouraged less fighting and more trade – “and that is now under threat from many, many different directions.”
Hunt identified examples of such threats, discussing the war in Ukraine and greater European security, topics which garnered a flurry of questions from the audience. As a former foreign secretary, Hunt posited these two issues as fundamental foreign policy objectives. He proposed a “Korean situation” for the conclusion of the Russia-Ukraine war, which included a conflict-ending frozen border with Russian control on one side and a “flourishing democracy” on the other.
Regarding Europe as a whole, Hunt stressed the importance of maintaining NATO, amidst changing sentiments on the other side of the Atlantic.
“President Trump doesn’t appear to have a very big commitment to NATO or European security,” Hunt acknowledged. But he argued that the importance of NATO lies beyond its goals for common security: “The battle of the century is between democracy and autocracy, and NATO is the alliance that links the two big centres of democracy: North America and Europe.”
Students also raised issues about domestic issues relevant to Hunt, including the historic Conservative electoral defeat in the 2024 general election. Of particular concern was the Conservative performance among younger demographics; a YouGov poll disclosed that the Conservatives only received 8% of votes from voters below 30.
“If we’re going to win, we need to put together a coalition that somehow speaks to [younger voters],” Hunt said. “I don’t think that really is about left or right. I think it’s about understanding their concerns, articulating them and having some solution to the problems that matter.”
Hunt particularly highlighted the Conservatives as the party of “wealth creation”, a party that prioritises economic growth, to be able to fund the NHS, international aid, climate change, and more—issues that younger voters might be more keen on.
Hunt touched on the NHS as well, which he oversaw as health secretary from 2012 to 2018, criticising it as overmanaged and unable to maximise efficiency. Hunt argued for a more liberal system that allows hospitals more budgetary freedom to invest in long-term resources, instead of the current setup that emphasises short-term target numbers for patients, scans or examinations.
Returning to a bigger-picture perspective, Hunt encouraged attendees interested in politics to continue their pursuit, highlighting the noble nature of public service and its ability to directly impact the world.
“People are looking at the countries that set up that international order – and the UK was one of the pioneers – and saying, are you going to step up to the plate?” Hunt said. “My argument is that in a time like this, countries that have influence should use it…. Please don’t give up.”
