On Thursday 10 July, the Perth USAsia Centre hosted a roundtable with Sir Stephen Lovegrove GCMG KCB, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS.
The UK is a vital partner for Australia in AUKUS, bringing deep historical ties and cutting-edge defence capabilities to the trilateral security pact. As London pivots its strategic focus towards the Indo‑Pacific, it’s not just sending submarines – it’s also signalling a long‑term commitment to regional stability and shared defence priorities.
The lively discussion covered the recent UK review of AUKUS led by Sir Lovegrove; the strategic value of conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines; the scope of AUKUS Pillar II; and the need for more effective strategic communications and bolstering social licence.Â
Event details
Date: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Event: 7:45am – 9:00am
Location: The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley WA 6009
Roundtable speaker
Sir Stephen Lovegrove was appointed the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS in 2025. In 2024, he led the UK Government’s review on the progress and benefits of the AUKUS agreement.
Previously, Stephen was the UK National Security Adviser from March 2021 to September 2022, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence from 2016-2021 and Permanent Secretary for Department of Energy and Climate Change from 2013-2016.
Stephen spent nine years at the Shareholder Executive, now UK Government Investments, where he was appointed Chief Executive in June 2007. He previously worked in investment banking and strategic consultancy.
Stephen also sat on the board of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and was a trustee of the Charities Aid Foundation..
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Roundtables with the Perth USAsia Centre
This roundtable discussion is by invitation only to the Perth USAsia Centre network of senior leaders and industry experts.
Let us know if you would like to be considered for Perth USAsia Centre’s business events and networking opportunities. We’ll ensure you stay up to date with the latest news and updates on the Indo-Pacific region and provide access to an extensive collection of reports, articles and commentary.