On Thursday June 9, 2016, UK Member of Parliament Tobias Ellwood joined the Atlantic Council for a public conference call on the British referendum on European Union (EU) membership on June 23. Minister Ellwood presented the case for an engaged Britain in the EU and the implications of a Brexit vote on Britain’s future role in the world. Claire Yorke, Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and moderator of the discussion guided a dialogue on the United Kingdom’s domestic referendum debate, along with the role of the transatlantic partnership during this period of geopolitical uncertainty.
Ellwood began his political career in 2005 when he was elected to Parliament for Bournemouth East. He was appointed Shadow Whip shortly after and was then promoted in 2007 to the post of Shadow Minister for Culture Media and Sport. After the 2010 General Election, Ellwood was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Defense Secretary. He was appointed to similar positions for the Minister for Europe and the Health Secretary in 2013. He was also Parliamentary Advisor to the Prime Minister for the 2014 NATO Summit and a member of the Parliamentary Delegation to the NATO Assembly 2014. Prior to his political career, he served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kuwait, Germany, Gibraltar, and Bosnia from 1991 to 1996 with the Royal Green Jackets of the Regular Army.