Category Archives: Blogs

Commentary: Johnson must keep in line with ‘global Britain’ (Times Red Box)12/12/16

The reporting on Boris Johnson’s “Saudi slapdown” overshadowed a significant week demonstrating a tension that will be at the heart of the UK’s post-Brexit foreign policy.

Last Friday the foreign secretary delivered the government’s most detailed foreign policy speech since the EU referendum to an audience at Chatham House. However, it was remarks made the previous day in Rome that have gained greater attention.

Since the summer, “global Britain” has been a slogan repeated by government ministers to reassure themselves and third countries that the UK will not retreat into isolationism as it leaves the EU. On the contrary, the UK will become more internationally engaged.

 

Read more at : http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/johnson-must-keep-in-line-with-global-britain-agenda-56xvtx5hs (£)

Blog: Why the EU is suddenly marching to a different drumbeat on defence 16/09/16

Now that the most militarily capable member state is on the way out of the European Union there have been proposals for greater defence collaboration between the countries that remain.

Without Britain, the EU is left with substantially degraded defence capacities. As they meet in Bratislava to discuss life after Brexit, EU leaders have taken the bold but risky move to draw attention to the EU’s continuing ability to deepen integration.

It is risky because, despite being a central commitment in the Maastricht Treaty, the EU has only made modest progress towards establishing a shared defence and security policy. Member states disagree on how much they should merge their military capabilities and have made slow progress towards their Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This has so far progressed via a series of civilian and military conflict management missions.

Read more at: https://theconversation.com/why-the-eu-is-suddenly-marching-to-a-different-drumbeat-on-defence-65588