Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown  has delivered the inaugural John Smith Memorial Lecture to a sold-out audience at Cadogan Hall in London.

The event, organised by the John Smith Centre, was introduced by Lord Kinnock – Labour Leader from 1982 to 1992 and a former colleague of both Gordon and John Smith.

In a wide-ranging speech, Gordon  reflected on the shift from a rules-based international order, dominated by American influence, to a more fragmented, multipolar world driven.

He warned that without stronger international cooperation, the world will struggle to address critical global challenges such as climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemics.

Gordon also linked the global rise of populist nationalist movements to the erosion of local communities and the privatisation of public space. He cited recent research showing a sharp decline in membership across civic institutions – such as clubs, trade unions, political parties, and charities. Many people, he noted, also report having fewer close friendships and rising levels of loneliness.

“When financial or transport infrastructure breaks down, we are up in arms to rebuild it. But civil society is breaking down—and no one is doing anything,”

He then turned his focus to the rising levels of chlild poverty in Britain. Proposing a range of fundraising measures, including a levy on the highly profitable gambling industry, Gordon argued these revenues could be used to fund policies such as repealing the two-child benefit cap.

The lecture coincided with the release of a special edition of the New Statesman, titled Britain’s Child Poverty Epidemic, which was guest-edited by Gordon Brown.

Baroness Catherine Smith KC, Advocate-General of Scotland and daughter of John Smith concluded the evening by highlight the John Smith Centre’s mission to empower new and diverse voices to engage with and enter UK politics.