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.