But for the Economist's James Astill, the Commonwealth is “a large and somewhat anomalous club, which devotes most of its energies to maintaining its strange existence”. read more
There are certain advantages to being a member-state - for instance, consular services exist for countries in good standing. Commonwealth citizens who are stuck in a country that is not represented at a consulate by their government can get representation and a temporary ''commonwealth citizen'' passport issued at a British Embassy. read more