How could global politics shift, with more than half the world's population voting in elections this year?  How should Australia – and other liberal democracies – navigate a path forward amid growing geopolitical tension and conflict?  And what opportunities exist for Australia to deepen ties with its longstanding partners, despite increasing uncertainty and complexity?  In this episode, Sophia Gaston and Gideon Rachman join Rory Medcalf to discuss upcoming elections around the world, escalating global conflicts, and what may be in store for the Australia-UK relationship, following the UK’s upcoming general election. Sophia Gaston is an Expert Associate at the ANU National Security College (NSC). She is also the Head of Foreign Policy and UK Resilience at the leading Westminster think tank, Policy Exchange.  Gideon Rachman is the Chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times.  Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of NSC. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism, and academia.  Show notes:   Securing our Future – national security conference, 9–10 April, 2024: secure your tickets AUKUS Pillar II: find out more   We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.