We're ready to form an ambitious free trade agreement

As a spectator from afar, there seems to be one constant theme in global politics right now. Change. That includes in the UK, a place I don’t just consider a longstanding partner to New Zealand, but my former home.

In the mid-2000s I travelled to the UK, worked as a civil servant and lived in London, everywhere from Wood Green to Vauxhall and Brixton. I came home with many things - including a love of Branston Pickle, park picnics and a significant tea habit.

But I also returned with a deep personal connection to your country, and an appreciation of New Zealand’s special relationship with the UK.

We all know our shared history.

After all, around four in every five New Zealanders still claims British heritage; our foundational Treaty of Waitangi of 1840 was signed by Māori chiefs and representatives of Queen Victoria, and our people served alongside one another through two world wars. We share common political and legal systems, our Westminster parliamentary tradition, our apolitical public service, and the direct relationship New Zealanders enjoy.

A stint in Britain is almost a rite of passage for young Kiwis who head off on their “Big Overseas Experience”. At any stage, about 60,000 Kiwis are resident in the UK – the equivalent of just under 1 million of your young people living on our side of the world.