A great deal has changed in the time since I last posted a UK foreign policy must-reads. I'll try to be more consistent in tracking the new Labour government. Below are pieces on UK foreign policy that caught my eye in the month that saw Sir Keir Starmer take the helm.
Labour and Foreign Affairs
Labour and international relations—New Statesman: Why foreign affairs will define the Starmer era. At the Nato summit, the threat posed by China, Russia and Trump will be impossible to ignore.
Labour and UK Foreign Policy—Responsible Statecraft: Labour's delusions about UK foreign policy. A recent essay by new foreign secretary David Lammy left much to be desired about his interpretation of 'progressive realism’. European Relations
Labour and the EU—CER: An open letter to Keir Starmer: Ten suggestions on how to foster better relations with Europe
Labour and the EU—UKICE: A brave new (Brexit) world. Labour’s victory means we’ll have to get used to pressure on government over EU policy very different to what we’ve become used to, writes Anand Menon.
Future of UK-EU relations—UKICE: UK-EU: What next? The new government has made an energetic start as it begins to ‘reset’ the UK’s relationship with the EU. But can Keir Starmer’s administration fulfil its manifesto promises? What are the challenges on the EU and domestic front that it will face? This new report examines the difficulties that await the government in the management of its borders, the search for a veterinary agreement, asylum, emissions trading, and citizens. It looks at the opportunities for cooperation in energy, the terms on which the EU would welcome a Security Pact with the EU, how EU-UK regimes in AI/digital might diverge, and why mobility whether for young people, professionals, or touring musicians is such an issue.
UK-EU Dynamic Alignment—CER: Should the UK pursue dynamic alignment with the EU? The EU’s neighbours follow various models of dynamic alignment with its rules. Which model, if any, could suit the UK? As one of the world’s three dominant trading blocs, the European Union enjoys global influence through the so-called Brussels effect. EU regulations often become dominant global standards both because of the sheer economic weight of the European Union and because many of them are high-quality technical regulations that can be easily adopted by other countries. In its neighbourhood, however, EU regulation has an even stronger impact. Countries formally commit to adopting EU legislation in return for increased market access in a process generally known as dynamic alignment. With Labour seeking a veterinary agreement with the EU and signalling an openness to alignment with at least some EU regulations, the debate about dynamic alignment is likely to be reopened. How do the different models of dynamic alignment work in Europe, and what are the implications for the UK?
UK-EU Trade—Sam Lowe: 9ish Ways To Improve the UK-EU Trade Agreement Defence
Defence pact with Germany—MOD: Joint Declaration on Enhanced Defence Cooperation between Germany and the United Kingdom. Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, signed a joint declaration with German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, on 24 July, 2024.
Land War—Chief of the Defence Staff: Chief of the Defence Staff speech at RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2024. The Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, gave a speech to the RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2024
Armed forces—RUSI: A Hollow Force? Choices for the UK Armed Forces. As the new UK government grapples with the current state of the Armed Forces, hard thinking and prioritisation are needed to ensure they can provide capable and coherent forces to NATO and deal with modern threats.
UK-EU Defence Cooperation—SWP: Prospects for UK-EU Cooperation in Foreign and Security Policy after the UK Elections. Labour has won a landslide in the United Kingdom (UK) snap elections and will now lead the government. Following the mutual estrangement caused by Brexit, among other changes, this provides an opportunity to revitalise relations with the European Union (EU). Particularly in foreign, security and defence policy, cooperation has already increased in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression, but mainly on an ad hoc basis. In the medium term, it is not a question of reversing Brexit, but rather of establishing an EU-UK Common Strategic Initiative – in other words, a new model for structured relations with a partner that is very important for the EU and Germany. Here, the EU should also show more flexibility than in the past.
SDR—Chatham House: A new SDR should make increased UK defence spending count. While problems with procurement and recruitment may be being addressed, appointing external reviewers to the Strategic Defence Review is a creative way to overcome inter-service rivalry and build on deep experience. Human rights, Immigration and Asylum
Brexit, immigration and asylum—The Political Quarterly: Immigration and Asylum Policy after Brexit: An Introduction. This special collection examines how immigration and asylum policies have evolved since Britain left the European Union. The referendum was won on the promise of ‘taking back control’, yet, since Brexit, immigration has increased to record levels and the nationalities of people coming to the UK have become more diverse. The increase in immigration was driven by a liberalisation of work and study visas and the creation of new humanitarian schemes. Although some aspects of immigration policy have evolved in a liberal direction, others have become increasingly restrictive. The Conservative government has pursued a draconian agenda on asylum, borders and irregular migration, including a scheme to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, and legislation that effectively abolishes the right to seek asylum in the UK. This introduction argues that recent immigration and asylum policies reflect the ambivalent, unstable and unresolved meanings of Brexit itself.
Human Rights law—Chatham House: The new government must work hard to restore the UK’s reputation as a champion of international law. A ‘reset’ in British foreign policy should extend to reinvigorating the UK’s commitment to international courts and institutions. Bilateral, Multilateral, and Regional Relations
UK-EU-Trump—CER: Navigating the Storm? The EU, the UK and Trump 2.0. This policy brief is the second of the CER/KAS project, “Plotting a Course Together: UK-EU Co-operation in Times of Uncertainty”. This paper focuses on the prospect of a second Trump presidency and its impact on relations. The first paper focused on UK-EU co-operation in relation to Ukraine. The third study will focus on Baltic security.
UK-Black Sea—Tracey German: The UK and the Black Sea Region: Moving from the Periphery to Centre-Stage. The UK has long-running strategic interests in the Black Sea region, connected to its wider international interests. However, until 2022, the region was not central to either UK interests or its views on international security and stability; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine clarified the criticality of the region for both UK and global stability, encompassing a wide range of risks and threats, from military attacks to great power competition, human rights, climate change and economic fragility. This chapter examines the UK’s changing approach to the region, which has become a key area of UK policy interest. It argues that the UK’s approach remains too reactive, responding to events in the short term rather than pursuing a well-thought-through, long-term strategy.
UK-Middle East—Foreign Policy: Britain Needs a New Middle East Policy. The new U.K. government shouldn’t only pursue a reset with Europe, it also needs to mend its ties throughout the Arab world.
UK-India—Chatham House: The UK needs an India strategy that goes beyond the trade deal. 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.
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