Nudge, nudge … UK’s new role

Britain must seek friendly divorce from Europe, says Kishore Mahbubani

The World Today Updated 26 November 2020 2 minute READ

Kishore Mahbubani

Distinguished Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, author of ‘The Asian 21st Century'

Brexit, if it finally happens, will be a disaster for Britain. There are no ifs and buts about this. The only question that remains is: can the UK carve out a new global role that adds value to it and the world? The answer for the British is: Yes, we can.

There is one vacuum in the global order that Britain can fill. What the world lacks is a first-rate middle power that can help to nudge the great powers in the right direction. The great powers, almost by definition, are focused on the other great powers. A new global contest is emerging between the world’s No 1 power, the United States, and the world’s No 1 emerging power, China. Britain will always be an ally of the US. But a good ally can speak truth to power. The UK can nudge both the US and the world order in the right direction. Three opportunities beckon for Britain.

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