Jonathan Peter Marland, Baron Marland, is known as a British businessman and politician.
The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council CWEIC is a membership organisation which promotes trade, investment and the role of the private sector across 56 Commonwealth member states. Lord Marland assumed office as the chairman of CWEIC on 1 July 2014.
Lord Marland was the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy (2011 – ’14); in 2012, he was Minister of Intellectual Property; in 2010, Minister of Energy and Climate Change; and in 2012, Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills. He was also the treasurer of the Conservative Party. During this period, he was also the chairman of the UK Trade & Investment Business Ambassador Network.
During his various roles cited above, he has been working with former prime ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak and incumbent Keir Starmer.
In recognition of his longstanding contributions to the advancement of commercial and bilateral relations with Malta, he was awarded the Maltese Order of Merit in 2015.
He continues his active involvement in the business world, where he plays a crucial role in shaping industry practices and fostering partnerships. He presently serves as the chairman of both EcoWorld Management Ltd and Bspoke Insurance Group Ltd. He is also the co-owner of Cricketer Magazine. In addition, he is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Kuwait Investment Authority.
Lord Marland is known to frequently provide commentary on British politics. Throughout his 17 years as a Conservative peer, he had gained first-hand insight into the knowledge and expertise of the House of Lords members. He created the Peer Review Podcast to shed light on this vast and varied experience. It features interviews with a curated selection of peers.
He was the past president of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir. Amongst many other organisational affiliations and key post titles held, he also served as Chairman and Trustee for the Guggenheim UK Charitable Trust for 2 consecutive decades.
The Commonwealth Union’s Director of International Relations, Suchithra Withanage, was in a recent conversation with Lord Jonathan Marland of Odstock, UK. Their discussions revolved around current key global issues.
Commenting exclusively with the Commonwealth Union, Lord Marland had said,
“The Middle East crisis that has led to the closure of the Hormuz Strait, besides the Trade Tariffs imposed on countries by the U.S., has resulted in creating significant supply chain disruptions”.
He added, “It could be said that the World is currently on Pause awaiting more clarity on the outcome of the war against Iran”.
Commenting further, he went on to cite, “With the onset of the Trump administration’s trade tariff crisis, announced last year, many Commonwealth countries had initiated alternative trade agreements with other member nations and blocs. This rather hasty action was to compensate for the foreseen income losses with less dependency on long-established trade relationships with the USA. The USA’s cancellation of resident visas for select 75 nations has accelerated the need for others to look at alternative trade markets”.
He also asserted, “These market changes are expected to create opportunities for new routes and air hubs to materialise. Due to the surge in price of fossil fuels, it is envisaged that the search and demand for cheaper alternative energy sources will escalate. The mostly tax-free Middle Eastern countries would lose out in their previous preferred status”.
Just before concluding, Lord Marland was of the view, “These cited global setbacks have created an opportunity for the Commonwealth nations to bind closer in partnerships due to their already existing and long-standing relationships”.
