UK in the World Programme

Here are the key questions that should be asked when assessing the much-delayed plan.

Lord Robertson, former NATO Secretary-General, was speaking at a Chatham House event to launch a House of Lords report on UK–US relations.

What does the ceasefire mean for the Islamic Republic, President Trump, the Strait of Hormuz and the UK? And how should the world respond to challenges to the humanitarian legal order?

The war threatens the UK prime minister’s hopes for economic recovery and heaps pressure on US relations he has worked hard to maintain. A long war will see his problems mount.

Keir Starmer’s upcoming China visit and the UK’s approval of China’s new ‘mega-embassy’ have dominated headlines. But more attention should be paid to Beijing’s less visible levers of influence.

The willingness of major powers – both the US and China – to engage in increasingly blatant economic coercion will prove a difficult challenge for the UK.

The collapse of talks for the UK to join the SAFE defence fund is a blow to the UK–EU reset. But it has not hit a brick wall.

The barrister and author speaks to Olivia O’Sullivan about Britain’s relationship with Europe, the European Union’s loss of connection with voters and what being married to Boris Johnson taught her about Brexit.

Chatham House experts highlight the crunch moments and potential flashpoints in the year ahead.

The UK government needs a more strategic approach to deal with potential espionage and foreign interference from Beijing.

The UK and allies must coordinate to manage the consequences of their own aid cuts, and those driven by President Trump – by prioritizing what still works in the multilateral system.

Despite the historic change in stance, the UK’s move will not change Prime Minister Netanyahu’s mind. Keir Starmer may soon face more domestic pressure to explore other forms of leverage.

An internship offers an invaluable learning experience through a six-month placement in one of our teams.

The US president will enjoy the pageantry, but the prime minister will want to avoid moments that reveal differences on trade, Ukraine and Palestine recognition, writes Iona Allan.

Although a focus on migration has delivered political momentum for Reform, the party needs clearer answers on the UK’s new security challenges.

Chatham House will hold events addressing the most pressing issues in UK foreign policy at the Labour and Conservative Party conferences this September and October.

The UK should work more closely with European and regional partners to tackle climate change, promote growth and uphold international stability.

The government should invest R&D funding strategically in discovery science, connect regional R&D hubs into a national innovation ecosystem and collaborate with partners abroad.

Proposals to improve armed forces integration, harness new technology and boost societal resilience are the right lessons to draw from Ukraine. But much depends on spending, implementation, and a reliable US partner.

The SDR’s vision calls for a revolution in how the UK finds, buys and uses technology to keep up with its adversaries.

The summit will be valuable if it yields a substantive defence agreement. But wider foreign policy issues should be part of the agenda.

The British government needs a more comprehensive and forward-looking defence-industrial strategy to ensure its national security.

It would likely be unpopular for a government that has cut welfare services and introduced new taxes on UK businesses, but it also risks undermining wider attempts to regulate big tech. 

Now that Washington is potentially an unreliable ally, the UK needs to revisit its nuclear strategy. But going alone is costly, and partnering with France poses its own risks.

Finland, Sweden and their neighbours have much to teach the UK about ‘total defence’ and building societal resilience to Russian ‘grey zone’ warfare, writes Robin Potter.

The UK must lead on Ukraine’s defence with clear spending commitments – and invest in European collaboration. 

While engaging with China’s leaders can be beneficial, it must be underpinned by a clear strategy to counter covert influence and manage the risks of economic and technological dependencies.

The time the prime minister is spending abroad is justified but voters must be convinced of the links between domestic and international concerns.

The budget marks the lowest amount in decades the country has spent on development, and it is struggling to fund other international priorities too.

The UK decision was welcomed by India and the US, and shows a capacity for fresh thinking. But the transfer of sovereignty must be handled carefully.

Foreign aid cuts present security and geopolitical challenges for the UK. To remain influential in this new era of aid scarcity, the UK must cooperate with European allies and other donors to develop wider-ranging partnerships with Global South states and revitalize multilateral cooperation.

The Indo-Pacific is critical to Britain’s long-term interests, especially in relation to trade and investment, security and climate change. The region deserves due prominence in UK foreign policy despite the government’s understandable focus on current risks in Europe.

The UK cannot avoid deepening bilateral links with China, but policymakers must go much further to mitigate the risks of closer engagement while also insulating the relationship from Sino-US tensions.

Whichever party wins the general election, limited resources will prevent an expansive foreign agenda. ‘Realistic ambition’ should be the guiding principle, with a focus on adapting to risks around the US and China, improving relations with the EU, and strengthening the UK’s role in international governance and development.

Although the UK is less exposed to the direct effects of the war in Ukraine than other European countries, the indirect and longer-term impact will be significant.

To help sustain the unity of response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK needs to rebuild its relationship with the EU, expand the role of the G7, and deploy its trade and development policies more strategically.

A proposed blueprint for Britain’s future foreign policy argues that the country can remain internationally influential post-Brexit by acting as the broker of solutions to global challenges.