UK’s global role

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

Patrick Wintour and Ranil Dissanayake join the podcast ahead of the UK Budget to discuss the high debt facing G7 economies and its impact on foreign, defence and development policies.

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.

Other countries are doing better jobs of mending fences in Africa and Asia. But the new government has an opportunity to improve post-colonial relations with historical tact and diplomatic generosity, writes Samir Puri.

A series of international affairs events are being held at the UK Labour and Conservative Party conferences this autumn.

David Lammy will use his visit to renew momentum on the FTA negotiations, but he should also realize the strategic, economic and symbolic potential of a deeper UK-India relationship.

A ‘reset’ in British foreign policy should extend to reinvigorating the UK’s commitment to international courts and institutions.

The summit is not only a chance for the new UK government to build relationships with European leaders, but a key opportunity for European countries to make progress on shared political and security challenges.

The UK’s once serious claims to climate leadership have been severely damaged in recent years. Rebuilding its standing will be a challenge, at home and abroad.

A shrinking army risks the UK’s ability to fulfil its roles within the alliance. Boosting spending on recruitment, retention and upgrading capabilities is essential to maintaining a leadership role.

Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has won an extraordinary victory, ending fourteen years of Conservative government. What does this mean for the UK’s global role?

Keir Starmer and his foreign secretary will face difficult, early decisions on foreign policy. The test will be whether those rebuild the UK’s influence, reputation and interests.

Although the next UK government will have to make many trade-offs, boosting ties with both the Indo-Pacific and Europe would be mutually reinforcing.

Procurement, security cooperation and international development policy require urgent attention.

Whoever wins the UK’s general election, an incoming government needs better terms and conditions for its dealings with Beijing.

Regardless of whether the next US administration is led by Biden or Trump, two key foreign policy asks will be made of the next UK government.

The UK needs to narrow its policy goals to concentrate its resources on stabilizing the region’s unresolved conflicts.

The next UK government will immediately be thrust onto the world stage with NATO and European summits in July. The campaign is a distraction but there are urgent questions to answer on foreign affairs, including Gaza.

Raising productivity growth is the only way the UK will be able to meet its domestic and international objectives over the long term.

Whoever wins the UK general election will face significant challenges in foreign affairs. How will they feature in the campaign?

For the UK, backing the use of emerging technology for development goals should extend to support of local leadership and stewardship.

The prime minister’s choice of timing for a general election thrusts foreign policy to the fore and will expose the parties’ differences on migration, Europe and Gaza.

After this year’s general election, the UK will have to make tough decisions in its foreign policy, especially towards China, the United States and Europe.

Labour and the Conservatives each place unusual emphasis on foreign policy in this election year. A new Chatham House paper advises what the next government must prioritize.

Backing down in the face of Russian threats is the worst option. The UK should join France in using strategic ambiguity.

The government will need to be clearer on how the spending increase will be funded and where the UK will direct its focus.

As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, the UK must overcome its capability gaps to boost the alliance’s deterrence power and account for threats like China.

The UK’s new strategy highlights how clarity of purpose, careful calibration and flexibility can help ensure sanctions regimes are effective.

Having a foreign secretary with status that is largely free of domestic political concerns matters, but a lack of strategy matters more.

But without US leadership, the ability of Ukraine’s European allies to cooperate effectively looks uncertain.

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.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) has become the main platform for US–EU trade and tech cooperation. But the US and the EU must turn ambitions into tangible outcomes if the TTC is to tackle significant global issues.

Europe and the US recognize that their policies and strategies on the Indo-Pacific need to be more coherent. Existing structures such as the G7 and the Quad could become key forums for enhanced cooperation.

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.

In 2021 G7 leaders pledged to build back a better world. They now need to redouble their efforts to make sure that this ambition is fulfilled.

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.

To forge an effective Russia policy post-Brexit, the UK needs a clear, coherent Russia strategy based on a realistic assessment of its own power and influence.

A new paper assesses the impacts of the pandemic on UK food and nutrition security, as the country establishes its post-Brexit priorities for trade and agriculture.

The post-Brexit context makes the E3 more difficult as a format for cooperation between France, Germany and the UK. The three countries are more likely to be able to develop a shared strategic agenda by identifying specific problems which they need to solve together.

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.

This paper explores the origins of the E3 format of diplomatic coordination between France, Germany and the UK, and its possible future development.

Brexit, for better or worse, means a major structural change in how people in the UK think about the food they eat. There is an opportunity to reformulate food policy for the better, but this could be easily squandered if not managed carefully.

Turkey’s experience shows the challenges facing a non-member state in a formal customs arrangement with the EU. Post-Brexit Britain should seek a more intimate arrangement with the EU.

In the first of a new annual series, Chatham House experts examine how aspects of the established order in global affairs are shifting.