Neil recently hosted the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation’s Salisbury Lecture — an annual occasion that draws together those who share a commitment to the values of international engagement, public service, and community that defined Heath’s remarkable career.
This year’s lecture was delivered by Sir John Major to an audience of 800 at Salisbury Cathedral, before the evening continued at Arundells, Sir Edward’s former home, with a reception and dinner. By any measure, it was an occasion of considerable distinction — and a fitting tribute to a statesman whose legacy continues to resonate.
It is worth pausing on why Heath’s legacy matters today, and why UCEC’s connection to it feels particularly relevant. Heath was, among many things, a conviction internationalist. It was his government that took the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community in 1973 — one of the most consequential acts of British foreign policy in the post-war era. But his international vision extended well beyond Europe. Heath was one of the first Western leaders to visit China after the establishment of diplomatic relations, forging personal ties with Mao Zedong and later Deng Xiaoping, and advocating for engagement with China at a time when many in the West were deeply sceptical.
That instinct — that Britain’s prosperity and influence depend on building genuine, sustained relationships with the world’s major powers — is as relevant now as it was then. UCEC’s own work in China, including Neil’s recent visit to Henan Province and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Henan Education Department, is driven by exactly that conviction. Exporting education, building institutional partnerships, and investing in long-term international relationships are not peripheral activities for a modern British organisation — they are central to what it means to be globally competitive and outward-looking.
Heath understood this instinctively, and the Foundation that bears his name continues to champion those values through its education and community work, its stewardship of Arundells, and events like the Salisbury Lecture that keep the conversation alive.
“Superb day for the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation’s Salisbury Lecture. Sir John Major was in excellent form for an audience in the Cathedral of 800 and again during the reception and dinner at Arundells, Sir Edward’s former home. The Foundation is having a fabulous year with awards for our work, great feedback from visitors to Arundells and strong support for our community and education work. I am immensely proud of being a trustee and I love working with my colleagues and the superb staff at Arundells. Thank you to everyone who supports us.”
— Neil Carmichael, UCEC
The Foundation is, by Neil’s account, having a particularly strong year — recognised for its work, warmly received by visitors to Arundells, and making a tangible difference through its community and education programmes. That is a testament to the staff, trustees, and supporters who give the Foundation its energy and purpose.
At a moment when the importance of international ties for the UK is once again the subject of serious debate, the values Heath stood for — openness, engagement, and the patient building of relationships across borders — deserve to be championed. UCEC is proud to be part of that tradition.
