⚖️In yesterday’s debate on Russian influence, Joe Powell MP raised concerns about the use of #SLAPPs to intimidate journalists. FPC’s 2022 report London Calling documented how UK courts have become a hub for legal threats that stifle public interest reporting.

📣Register your interest in the UK Media Freedom Forum 2026: forms.gle/Sh6FxLkjNmuu... 🗓️ 5–6 March | 📍@citystgeorges.bsky.social + online 🌐 Visit mediafreedomforum.co.uk for programme + updates @ibahri.bsky.social JFJ #UKMFF2026

🇩🇪 New long read: Rachel Herring unpacks how the #AfD is reshaping German foreign policy, from rewriting history to rejecting the #EU and questioning support for Ukraine. What does their rise mean for Europe and the rules-based order? 📖 fpc.org.uk/long-read-th...

🇺🇸 New Op-ed: One year into #Trump’s second term, domestic unrest and foreign policy disruption define the landscape. From Venezuela to #Greenland, FPC Senior Fellow, Dr Andrew Gawthorpe, unpacks Trump’s presidency 🔗 fpc.org.uk/op-ed-one-ye...

🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇺 New Op-Ed: Patterns of History in Transatlantic Relations FPC Advisory Council member & former EU diplomat David Harley reflects on continuity in #USForeignPolicy and what it means for the future of UK-EU-US ties. 🔗 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-patter...

📢 Today marks the 5th anniversary of the UK Anti-#SLAPP Coalition Our ED @skcoughtrie.bsky.social Coughtrie co-founded the Coalition after FPC research identified the UK as a leading source of legal threats used to shut down investigations into #FinancialCrime and #corruption.

🧵 Yesterday in Press Gazette: CIPR_UK CEO Alastair McCapra highlights how PR professionals risk becoming complicit in the suppression of information through #SLAPPs. He cites FPC’s 2024 report on PR & Kleptocracy as a key reference. 🔗 fpc.org.uk/publications...

6 weeks to go until the UK Media Freedom Forum 2026 📅 5–6 March | 📍 London + online The Forum will convene journalists, policymakers & civil society to address key challenges to #MediaFreedom 🔗 Register your interest: forms.gle/Sh6FxLkjNmuu...

On this day in 2022, MPs David Davis and Liam Byrne led the first UK parliamentary debate of its kind on lawfare and abusive legal tactics in a backbench business debate. Four years on, tackling #SLAPPs remains a pressing priority for both MPs as a matter of public interest.

✍️🇻🇪 New Op-Ed | International law, institutional collapse, and the danger of selective concern Laura Vidal highlights how current debate over #Venezuela risks sidelining the deeper crises of institutional decay and #HumanRights abuses. 🔗 fpc.org.uk/op-ed-intern...

📰FPC Research Fellow Dr Andrew Gawthorpe comments in @TIME on the UK’s role in the US-led seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker. He notes the move as a “routine sanctions enforcement mission” and a signal of transatlantic alignment. 🔗 time.com/7344656/unit...

🌏✍️ New Op-Ed| The Taiwan Trap: Why Beijing Needs Russia’s War in Ukraine By William Dixon & Maksym Beznosiuk Why has #Beijing refused to pressure #Moscow into ending the war in #Ukraine - despite having the leverage to do so? 📖 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-the-ta...

❄️🎄 As we close out the year, we’ve published our FPC Winter Roundup Newsletter 2025 – reflecting on a year of research, events, and policy engagement, and looking ahead to what’s coming in 2026. 📖 Read it here: mailchi.mp/fpc.org.uk/w...

🌍 Today is #HumanRightsDay. We mark the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which sets out the principles of dignity, freedom & justice for all. At FPC, human rights are a key focus of our work. 🔗 fpc.org.uk/articles/?=&...

🔎🌍 Today is #AntiCorruptionDay. Corruption erodes democratic institutions, drives inequality, and undermines global stability. Earlier this year, FPC’s Executive Director, Susan Coughtrie explored how transnational corruption destabilises #democracy. 📖 fpc.org.uk/corruption-a...

The inclusion of SLAPPs into the UK’s latest #AntiCorruptionStrategy is a welcome step. “We will strengthen measures to combat [SLAPPs], including considering the future approach for tackling all SLAPPs beyond economic crime.” www.gov.uk/government/p...

🎥🔎 Webinar Takeaways | Forging New Futures in the #MENA Region As #violence escalates & alliances shift, experts unpacked key challenges for #governance, #justice & #accountability across the region. 📖 fpc.org.uk/webinar-take... 🎥 youtu.be/HMyBx10vaog

🗓️UK Media Freedom Forum 2026 📍London + Online | 5–6 March We’re co-hosting the second #UKMFF2026 with JFJ & IBAHRI, in partnership with City St George's, University of London.. We’ll examine global threats to #MediaFreedom & shape concrete policy responses. Register📝 forms.gle/Sh6FxLkjNmuu...

🔎🇬🇪 New Expert Briefing | Georgia’s Political Landscape in Focus: A critical point for #democracy On 11 Nov, FPC convened a parliamentary roundtable chaired by @joepowell.bsky.social MP featuring: Eka Gigauri Nino Evgenidze Prof @stefwolff.bsky.social 📖 Read key insights: fpc.org.uk/wp-content/u...

🗳️🇰🇬 This Sunday, #Kyrgyzstan holds snap parliamentary #elections. In a new article, FPC Senior Fellow Dr @aijanco.bsky.social unpacks the shift to a majoritarian system, declining party politics & the consolidation of presidential power. 📖 fpc.org.uk/kyrgyz-parli...

🟣 Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. In this context of rising militarisation and gender inequality, we revisit, FPC Senior Fellow, Anna Chernova’s op-ed marking 25 years of #UNSCR1325 on #WPS. 📖 (Re)visit the piece: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-britis...

🇺🇸📰🇬🇧 New Op-Ed by Dr Andrew Gawthorpe, FPC Research Fellow President Trump is threatening to sue the #BBC for up to $5bn for how the Panorama programme edited his January 6 speech. But as Gawthorpe explains, it is not only about winning, it is about intimidating media critics.

👇 Good write up of our #openjustice challenge, alongside @fpcthinktank.bsky.social, @goodlawproject.bsky.social & @tbij.bsky.social, in the #SecretSLAPP case – aptly summarised as "a secret case in which lawyers argue behind closed doors about the conduct of other lawyers”.

🌍🇿🇦 New Op-ed by Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, SAIIA As #SouthAfrica prepares to host the #G20 Summit this weekend, it is using its presidency to prioritise global equity, #DebtSustainability & #development 📖:https://fpc.org.uk/op-ed-africas-moment-south-africas-g20-fight-to-centre-development/

🔬✍️The UK’s contributions to #globalhealth have shaped lives, driven progress and led on innovation around the world. However, this form of soft power is under threat. Cuts to funding and shifting global priorities risk undermining “one of Britain’s greatest diplomatic assets.”

🇬🇪⚖️Thanks to all who joined us in Parliament on Tuesday for a vital discussion on Georgia’s democratic crisis, from state capture and Russian influence to how the UK can support civil society. With Eka Gigauri, Nino Evgenidze, Stefan Wolff & Joe Powell MP.

🛡️🇬🇧 New Expert Look: UK defence & security under scrutiny From the 2025 Strategic Defence Review to the Soft Power Council, major shifts are underway — but big questions remain: 🔹 Defence vs aid cuts 🔹 What “NATO first” means 🔹 Building true resilience 📖 fpc.org.uk/expert-look-...

🌍 COP30 opened yesterday with urgent calls to honour climate promises and scale up finance for those most affected. In her article, Sophie Powell of Christian Aid warns UK leadership will ring hollow without a credible finance plan. 📖 Read: fpc.org.uk/at-cop30-uk-...

📰 Who is standing up for #MediaFreedom — and who is not? A new FPC article by Martin Scott & Mel Bunce introduces the first global Index assessing how 30 states support media freedom via foreign policy, diplomacy, aid & journalist safety. 📖📊 Read: fpc.org.uk/who-is-stand...

🌍✍️ New FPC article: At COP30, UK Leadership Requires Paying Up on #ClimateFinance By Sophie Powell, Chief of UK Advocacy at Christian Aid 📖 fpc.org.uk/op-ed-at-cop...

📣 FPC Research Fellow Dr Andrew Gawthorpe spoke to the BBC on Trump’s push to remove South Africa from the #G20. 📰Read the article via BBC News: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

🇬🇧✍️ New Op-Ed by Patrick Stevens, Rule of Law Director at International Justice Development & UK Soft Power Council member How can the UK more strategically harness its #softpower – from cultural reach and education to diplomacy and legal expertise? 📖 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-uk-sof...

🧭✍️ Trump’s Central Asia Gambit by FPC Fellow Alex Folkes As President Trump prepares to meet leaders of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan on 6 Nov, what are the aims and implications of this move? 📖 Read the full piece: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-trumps...

🗞️ Ending Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists More than a decade after the UN declared 2 Nov the Intl Day to #EndImpunity for crimes against journalists, impunity persists. In a new FPC piece, Fiona O’Brien @rsf.org calls for urgent action. ➡️🔗 fpc.org.uk/op-ed-if-we-...

🕊️🇺🇳 Today marks 25 years since #UNSCR1325 on Women, Peace & Security To mark #WPS25, Anna Chernova reflects on UK leadership as WPS penholder & challenges ahead. 📖https://fpc.org.uk/op-ed-british-soft-power-and-increasing-defence-holding-the-pen-on-gender-in-an-age-of-violence/

🗳️ New Op-Ed: Georgian Elections – Unpacking the Fallout of 4th October by Davit Jintcharadze Georgia’s recent local elections saw record-low turnout, a partial opposition boycott, and renewed concerns over electoral integrity. 📖 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-georgi...

🔍 New FPC Long Read: Dealing with the #SanctionsBubble in #Georgia By Dr Ilya Roubanis & Co-author Sanctions on Russia were meant to constrain — instead, they’ve enabled a global ecosystem of intermediaries, offshore hubs & political enablers. 📄 Read: fpc.org.uk/dealing-with...

📢 Happening Tomorrow! | Webinar hosted by FPC & @sepad.bsky.social Forging New Futures: Looking Ahead at the #MENA Region 📅 Tues 28 Oct | ⏰ 12:30–13:30 UK | 📍 Zoom Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

📖 New long read: The New 1730s – Lessons from Britain’s Historic Involvement in #EasternEurope by Dan Sperrin How should the UK respond to the current Ukraine war after 3+ years of conflict? Dan turns to the past — drawing on Britain’s history in the region. Read: fpc.org.uk/the-new-1730...

🗳️🇳🇱 New Op-ed: The enduring relevance of the Far Right ahead of the #DutchElection By Prof. @stijntvankessel.bsky.social Ahead of the 29 Oct vote, far-right narratives continue to shape Dutch politics. 🔗 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-the-en...

📢 One Week to Go! - Webinar w/ @sepad.bsky.social Forging New Futures: Looking Ahead at the #MENA Region 🗓️ Tue 28 Oct | ⏰ 12:30–13:30 UK 🔗 Register now: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

We’re pleased to see our #SoftPower report featured in Influence Online by Farzana Baduel, highlighting the urgent need for a coordinated strategy to protect UK influence in today’s competitive global landscape. 📘 Our report: fpc.org.uk/wp-content/u... Read @farzanabaduel.bsky.social's piece ⬇️

🔵 FPC at Conservative Party Conference 2025 From 5–8 Oct, FPC’s Izzy Cutts & Stevie Wolfe joined #CPC25 in Manchester, engaging in fringe events on foreign policy, aid, #corruption & the UK’s global role. Key takeaways ⬇️

📢 Upcoming Webinar! Forging New Futures: Looking Ahead at the #MENA Region w/ @sepad.bsky.social 📅 Tues 28 Oct | 🕧 12:30–13:30 (UK) Register here➡️ us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... For more info visit the event page: fpc.org.uk/events/forgi...

🗳️⚖️ New Op-ed by Mohammad Al Abdallah, Jalal Alhamad & Riad Ali On 5 Oct, #Syria held its first parliamentary #elections since regime change — but the process entrenched executive control, sidelining accountability and reform. 🔗 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-the-fi...

🧭 New expert briefing: ‘#Syria’s transition nine months on’ Our roundtable, co-hosted with @ibahri.bsky.social & @sepad.bsky.social, brought together Syrian and international experts to assess the political & legal transition following Assad’s fall. 🔗- fpc.org.uk/expert-brief...

🔴 FPC at Labour Party Conference 2025 The FPC team was in Liverpool engaging with civil society, decision-makers & party members on issues at the core of our work — from anti-corruption & #SLAPPs to diplomacy, #ForeignPolicy & democratic resilience. Key takeaways ⬇️

🟡 FPC at Lib Dem Party Conference From 20–23 Sept, Susan Coughtrie (FPC Exec Director) and Stevie Wolfe (APPG Anti-Corruption) joined the Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth.

🔎 Strengthening Financial Transparency This week, UK Anti-Corruption Champion Baroness Hodge visited the BVI to assess progress on beneficial ownership registers — vital tools to expose illicit finance & corporate secrecy. 💡 A topic the Foreign Policy Centre has long explored ⬇️

Timely reflection from @fabianhamilton.bsky.social highlighting the strategic value of UK soft power. 🗨️ “The FPC’s latest Soft Power Report could not have been more timely...if we invest in our strengths, we’ll help shape the solutions."” 🔽 Read the article: www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...