Labour & Skills Exchange
In 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union, losing the freedom of movement throughout Europe that UK citizens were previously granted. It has remained a turbulent issue politically. In 2024, a poll showed that, if a referendum to rejoin were to be held tomorrow, 60% of 18-24 year olds would vote to rejoin – all of whom would have been too young to vote during the 2016 referendum. Many (in this age range) believe that migration, the cost of living, the NHS, wages, exports and Britain’s standing on the world stage have been damaged and find themselves paying higher prices and having less work and educational opportunities over a referendum they weren’t a part of. While CANZUK is not (and indeed nothing is likely to be) a Pandora’s box that will solve all the issues caused by Brexit, it will significantly reduce the long-term damage if implemented correctly.
The United Kingdom is already home to some of the worlds leading university institutions. CANZUK would enable the creation of student exchange programmes, allowing British students the option to study at universities outside the country, widening their career opportunties. For example, Australia is home to both the University of Melbourne and the University of New South Wales, which are ranked in the top 20 universities worldwide. Under CANZUK, British students would get the opportunity to move to Australia, or indeed any other member nation; to study at their facilities with reduced paperwork. All four member nations are ranked in the top 10 best countries for university education, meaning that no matter which country a student chooses to study in, they are almost guaranteed to receive a high-quality experience.
Skilled workers would have the opportunity to move outside of the UK to fill labour shortages in other CANZUK members either permanently or to fill seasonal roles through the proposed mutual recognition of qualifications. For example, volunteer and part-time fire fighters could move to Canada or Australia during their respective wildfire seasons. In 2025, Canada saw its 2nd-worst wildfire season with similar seasons likely to become normal in future. This puts strain on the existing North America and Australian partnership dedicated to tackling wildfires, so additional resources are in demand. This works both ways, as the United Kingdom has a 50/50 chance of experiencing at least one more 40°C summer day in the next 12 years and firewaves are becoming increasingly likely. Under CANZUK, fire fighters from other member nations could relocate to the UK to assist in efforts to tackle blazes. Another example is that in 2023, the NHS vacancy rate was 8.4% (121,000 full-time equivalent roles), so doctors and nurses from other CANZUK nations could move to the UK to fill them. These would be professionals coming from like-minded countries who share a common language, meaning that British culture is would not be adversely affected by this, allowing shortages to be patched without uncontrolled migration.
In the long term, CANZUK seeks to allow British citizens the option to live (and work) in any other member nation through a freedom-of-movement scheme. This would allow any citizen to move to any other CANZUK nation with reduced paperwork and visa requirements, enabling them to experience and benefit from the unique cultures of each nation. This is beneficial to businesses that may set up offices in each CANZUK country or expand existing operations to the UK, with the opportunity for their workforce to move between sites in different countries. Freedom of movement requires some limitations to ensure citizens abide by the laws in their host region and its culture. Most likely, granting each country the ability to deny individuals with a prior criminal record the freedom of movement privilege and requiring them to go through the existing traditional processes when entering will achieve this goal. However, this would be between four like-minded countries, so integration would be easy and would ensure that citizens from other CANZUK nations entering in the UK share British values and respect the culture.
Trade
Following its withdrawawl from the EU, the United Kingdom has face significant challenges to foster new trade deals with other countries. Poor management has significantly weakened the UK’s barganing power on the world stage, isolating itself and making it an easy target. Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit has had a long-term impact fuelled by poor government management with the UK’s GDP losing £140Bn, the job market suffering 2M fewer jobs and the average Briton being £2K worse off. Brexit has had some advantages however, as it allowed the UK to rollout its COVID-19 vaccine programme faster than that of its peers, bypassing the bureaucratic red tape imposed by the EU. It was this red tape that fuelled discontent within the UK that led to the leave result in the referendum, with Brexit supporters arguing it unfairly imposed limitations on how the UK can trade. CANZUK addresses this concern by allowing member nations total freedom on trade. Under free trade agreements the CANZUK proposal facilitates, trade between members would likely increase to the benefit of local industries seeking to export goods and consumers buying them. However, there’s no underlying regulation about how much member nations have to trade with each other, its based purely on demand. In the same way, member nations can trade externally with other countries without limitations imposed by CANZUK. This is in contrast to the EU, which requires restrictions on how its members trade.
In 2025, UK-Canada trade saw a significant increase, with UK exports to Canada rising 11.6% (£1.8Bn increase) and imports rising 20.5% (£2.1Bn increase) between June 2024 and June 2025. Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney establised the Economic and Trade Working Group in June 2025. Canada is also in the process of seeking to ratify the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, allowing both countries to trade under the terms of the agreement. As of the time of writing, Canada and the UK have also announced deepening ties on semiconductor research and the future of mutual trade between the countries is looking bright. These examples all signify a demand for trade between the countries and provides a unique opportunity for further collaboration with like-minded countries. Under CANZUK, these deals with Canada could flourish and pave the way for similar deals with Australia and New Zealand. The current trading situation between the UK and Canada could even be seen as a first step towards CANZUK, because partnerships between the Atlantic member nations prepares the way to collaborations with the Pacific regions.
Speaking of the Pacific region of CANZUK, the United Kingdom has had free trade agreements with both Australia and New Zealand since 2023. Trade with both countries makes up a miminal portion of the UK’s import and export landscape, however the CANZUK proposal opens up the possibility for future trade deals. In the event any existing trade deals externally from the confederation are ceased, the UK can work with Australia and New Zealand to fill the gap, therefore ensuring stability and continuity. In the long-term, joint initiatives and student exchange programmes between CANZUK members may make trade more favourable, through graduates seeking to setup businesses and export goods (especially digital goods) to other members.
CANZUK provides a unique opportunity when it comes to trade to address shortfalls left by Brexit and to adequately handle the issue in a way that satisfies both pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit supporters. CANZUK offers the opportunity for trade between like-minded countries, without a centralised commissioner to police how member nations trade. This allows the UK to trade with whatever partners it wishes to externally from CANZUK without having to follow a list of rules; therefore ensuring the country remains in control of its trading relations and preserving its sovereignty. It does this while still allowing the UK barganing power by being part of a bloc split accross 3 continents, meaning it always has free trade agreements with like-minded countries to fall back on to act as a backbone of stability. Trade between CANZUK members is already increasing, so the importance of embracing reliable partners while the opportunity presents itself is paramount to the UK’s future.
Security
The United Kingdom is part of the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance alongside the US and its CANZUK peers. Its a valued NATO member, to which Canada is also part. As of December 2025, the UK finds itself in a vulnerable positio, following an increasingly isolationist US (which suspended the Tech Prosperity deal with the UK sparking concerns over the US’s reliability) and being unable to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative. Both of which threaten the future of defence partnerships alongside Europe and leaving the country dangerously exposed. Recent analysis, such as seen in the Wargame Podcast, showcase how embarrasingly vulnerable the UK is, highlighting the necessity to develop long-term partnerships with other countries to diversify the UK’s defence landscape and provide a backbone of stability. CANZUK provides an alternative to fill the gap, whilst still leaving the UK open to working with its European and US counterparts.
Joint-initiatives with CANZUK members can diversify the UK’s existing partnerships and landscape, allowing it to develop its future capabilities with reduced reliance on US or EU made technology. It acts as a boost to the UK’s military capacity and allows it to work alongside trusted allies to develop the military of tomorrow without allowing the EU or the US to own a monopoly on what the UK buys. The UK is part of The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which is dedicated to merging the existing Tempest and F-X projects into one effort, alongside Italy and Japan. In 2025, Canada and Australia have expressed significant interest in joining and although no significant progress has been publicly announced, it demonstrates a demand from both nations – programmes between CANZUK members could become common in future. Where the individual members do not have the budget, resources and/or personnel to commit to major initiatives solo, support from the other members can fill the gaps. Infrastructure required for these initiatives could be constructed across CANZUK nations, splitting the cost and bringing jobs to all members. This is integral to the UK’s defence and prevents future disagreements with the EU on European defence from impacting our ability to defend ourselves. It will also allow the UK to complement the EU’s SAFE initiative, to further ensure the safety of the continent from Russian incursions.
Melting sea ice in the Arctic poses a significant threat to both the UK and Canada, as it opens up a new region from which attacks against both countries could originate. To tackle this, the United Kingdom has looked to Australia, which recently exported its Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) to Canada to monitor the Arctic region. The UK has shown interest, although no significant developments have yet occurred. This demonstrates that both the UK and Canada recognise the threat, so joining forces for mutual benefit is a natural step. Through CANZUK, troops from both countries, alongside their partners in Australia and New Zealand, can monitor for threats and deter a would-be aggressor through the strength in numbers. In the same way, troops from the UK and Canada can monitor and deter threats in the Indo-Pacific region, to create two distinct areas of interest.
CANZUK reinforces a long-term presence in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions, working alongside trusted partners to ensure the security of all member nations. CANZUK member nations’ forces are capable of global deployability, ensuring security for all members in an increasingly multi-polar world order. By leveraging and building on existing defence projects in each country, CANZUK can not only flourish but also pave the way for new joint initiatives. It makes possible sovereign CANZUK military projects that do not require involvement from non-member countries. While the UK seeks to revitalise its military partnerships, the CANZUK proposal paves the way for the country’s future. CANZUK does not aim to replace existing alliances such as Five Eyes or NATO, or to lock member nations into a contract that prevents them from collaborating with non-member countries; it instead seeks to complement other partnerships. This means that CANZUK can act alongside the EU’s SAFE initiative to deter Russian aggression in Europe and alongside the US’s forces through Five Eyes, whilst also ensuring the UK maintains the ability to develop its military without reliance on these organisations.
Cultural & Institutional Continuity
CANZUK restores the UK’s role as a global leader, without threatning national culture or identity. All members share common values, so students or skilled workers relocating to the UK to study or fill supply shortages won’t post risks to the national identity. Limitations on the long-term goal of freedom of movement, such as denying the priviledge to individuals with a prior criminal record, will prevent uncontrolled migration.
Each member nation can decide their level of participation in the bloc, meaning CANZUK acts as a backbone of stability, rather than an end-all agreement. This allows members to collaborate closely on key issues such as defence, taking advantage of historic ties and common values, whilst not restricting how its members spend their money. It creates opportunities for skilled British workers who find themselves without a demand for their services locally to relocate to another member to fill shortages. It also broaderns the horizon for British students, who have the opportunity to study in another CANZUK nation and possibly bring those skills back home to setup businesses. It allows the UK to multiply its existing diplomatic reach through joint-initiatives to ensure it isn’t isolated in the world stage, without compromising on key areas that led to the Brexit referendum.