22 Jun What Britain Thinks About UK Foreign Policy – 2022 Annual Survey Launch
The British Foreign Policy Group’s Annual Survey of UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy is the leading study of British attitudes on international affairs and the 2022 survey is the most extensive ever undertaken. The fieldwork is conducted by the BFPG’s established research partners, the leading insight agency Opinium. The 2022 report finds the nation in a state of transition, with Brexit and the pandemic receding, but the war in Ukraine, tensions in alliances, and the cost-of-living crisis, forging a new period of uncertainty for Britons.
Public opinion about foreign policy has not always been taken seriously, but it is becoming an increasingly powerful force in shaping decision-making in the UK and in our key allies, such as the United States – affecting military interventionism, trading relationships and climate commitments. As we move into an era of more complex and fragmenting global threats, alongside a renewed focus on sovereignty and citizenship, securing public consent for foreign policy will become a critical tool to enable governments to act boldly and decisively in their international activities.
Join the BFPG and Opinium for a virtual event to dissect the findings of the report and what they mean for the future of UK foreign policy. The BFPG’s Director will present some highlights from the new report and then lead a panel discussion with Sir Simon Fraser, Gideon Rachman, and Priya Minhas.
SPEAKERS
Sir Simon Fraser GCMG
Sir Simon is a founder and managing director of Flint Global, and Deputy Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). In his public service career, Sir Simon was the Head of the UK Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service, and before that he led the UK Department for Business and held a succession of senior roles in the British Government and the European Commission.
Gideon Rachman
Gideon is the Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator at the Financial Times. Before joining the FT in 2006, Gideon worked for The Economist for 15 years in a range of roles, including as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Bangkok and Washington, and as business editor. Gideon’s most recent book, The Age of the Strongman, was published in April 2022.
Priya Minhas
Priya Minhas is a Senior Research Manager and is Co-Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Opinium. She specialises in public polling and has collaborated with the British Foreign Policy Group on the Annual Survey of UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and Global Britain over several years. For the past four years, Priya has run Opinium’s pro-bono ‘Multicultural Britain’ research series with participants from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Sophia Gaston
Sophia Gaston is the Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. She is a social and political researcher, whose research particularly explores threats to governance and strengthening resilience in advanced liberal democracies. Sophia is a Research Fellow in the Institute for Global Affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an Academic Fellow at the European Policy Centre in Brussels.
