Ed Miliband delivered a speech at the 'Blue Finance and Innovation' event at CHOGM on 03 November 2026. He outlined UK leadership on ocean finance, private finance mobilisation, climate resilience and sustainable gro…
Can I begin by saying to you, Prime Minister, thank you so much for hosting us in your fantastic country. It has been a wonderful CHOGM so far and I can feel the positive atmosphere that you have created.
I’m also going to let people into a secret that when we met in our office a few weeks ago, I asked you what the secret of your great political success was, and you told me about the four-hour phone-in you do every Saturday with your population. I confess I have repeated this to a few other world leaders here who look slightly horrified and amazed.
I also want to thank the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and indeed the Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy, and all the sponsors of today’s event.
I confess I feel a great sense of humility speaking here because I think there are amazing experts that we have with us and that we heard from on our panel. I’m not here as an expert. I’m here to offer political commitment on the issue of the oceans.