Policy paper

UK Soft Power Council: membership and terms of reference

This page outlines the membership and terms of reference for the UK Soft Power Council, an advisory board to the UK government.

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The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport launched the UK Soft Power Council in January 2025. The current Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper co-chairs the Council with Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy.

The Soft Power Council, formed of 26 members, is an advisory board to the UK government. It brings together soft power and foreign policy experts to champion a new, hard-nosed approach to soft power.

The Council will:

  • advise the UK government on a new soft power strategy
  • advise on soft power campaigns globally
  • drive a systematic approach to the global foreign policy, cultural and sporting calendars  

Council members have been invited based on their expertise in soft power sectors, as well as the UK’s foreign policy priorities: growth, security, Europe, migration, climate and nature, and development.

Core to the Council’s mission is the pursuit of economic growth, ensuring that the renewed approach to soft power will bring tangible economic benefits to the people of the UK. The Council will also identify opportunities to strengthen our reach and reputation by building partnerships at home and abroad.

Soft Power Council minutes

Updates to this page

Published 17 January 2025
Last updated 26 January 2026 show all updates
  1. Added abridged minutes for July 2025 and October 2025 council meetings.

  2. Added abridged minutes for the second Soft Power Council meeting in April 2025.

  3. First published.

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