David Lawrence

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A community leader lays a wreath during a memorial service for HM The Queen at St Paul's Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda. Photo by Luke Dray/Getty Images

Europa,

The Commonwealth’s breadth allows a wide diversity of countries of different sizes, geographies, cultures, and values to be members – it is both rich and poor, north and south, and ethnically diverse. This makes it more interesting than many other multilateral institutions such as the G7, NATO, and the European Union (EU).

But it suffers from an unclear purpose. Since its inception, successive UK governments have grappled with its role – whether it is a preferential trading bloc or merely a source of most of Britain’s post-war immigration.

This lack of purpose – and structure – has left the Commonwealth impotent in dealing with a host of bilateral difficulties between the UK, its overseas territories, and Commonwealth partners in recent years.…  Seguir leyendo »

10 Downing Street in London, United Kingdom as seen on 05 September 2022 as Liz Truss was announced as the UK's next prime minister. Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.

Europa

It says something of the UK that the incoming prime minister has ordered a rewrite of British foreign policy barely 18 months after the last one was published.

Liz Truss, who has become the fourth prime minister in Downing Street in six turbulent years, is not prone to risk aversion or offering bland reassurances. She made clear during the campaign for the Conservative leadership that she wants the 2021 Integrated Review redrawn with a far greater focus on combating the ‘growing malign influence’ of Russia and China. She has also pledged to increase defence spending from its current 2.1 per cent of GDP, to 2.7 per cent, and then to 3 per cent by 2030, which will include more support for the intelligence services and cyber security, a further £10 billion overall at a time when public finances are in dire straits.…  Seguir leyendo »

An exterior of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Whitehall, where flags hang from the Cenotaph, on 5th January 2022, in London

EuropaMundoOriente Próximo

The last few weeks have seen Britain keen to position itself as one of the leaders of a Western response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Around this time last year, however, the UK was busy announcing its plans to ‘tilt’ towards the Indo-Pacific, in part to counter China’s rise, in part to seek new trade opportunities.

Amid this geopolitical focus in Europe and Asia, the UK risks overlooking a key geostrategic region: the Middle East. The ministerial role, quietly axed this month, was held by James Cleverly and previously Alistair Burt. Instead, Cleverly will be responsible for Europe and the Americas, and Iran, while the remainder of the Middle Eastern responsibilities will be taken on by Amanda Milling.…  Seguir leyendo »

Ukrainian servicemen with a Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launcher during a drill at Lviv, Ukraine. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.

EuropaUnión EuropeaDefensa y Seguridad

Britain’s relationship with Ukraine appears to be thriving, with Ukrainian defence journalist Illia Ponomarenko recently tweeting the ‘British are just unstoppable these days’ and that the UK finds itself ‘on the right side of history’ while one Ukrainian wine bar has started offering free drinks to British nationals.

Ponomarenko’s remarks and the wine bar offer – certainly one post-Brexit benefit of having a British passport – are down to the UK decision to send anti-tank weapons to support Ukraine’s forces against a potential Russian attack.

The UK’s quick response was praised by Ponomarenko as being ‘wise enough not to be lured into going the easiest way, which is always the fastest lane straight to hell’ and strikes a clear contrast with that of Germany, whose typically moderated approach to geopolitical tensions went down badly in Kyiv.…  Seguir leyendo »