02 Jul BFPG’s June Review

When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election last month, it took everyone by surprise. Candidates were hastily selected, manifestos were rapidly polished and the UK was thrust into the whirlwind of an election campaign. And while foreign policy rarely defines elections, this election has shown that in an increasingly globalised world, the public are both more attune to, and more impacted by, global events than ever before.

So where do the parties stand on key foreign policy issues? What will the election mean for the UK’s role in the world? And how might it impact the UK’s allies and partners?

As we enter the final stretch of the election campaign, BFPG has been looking to answer these questions. For the last few days we’ve been releasing a blog a day on where the main parties stand and how the election debate has played out across a broad range of foreign policy areas. The blogs we’ve released so far are linked below but we’ve also compiled them all into an ‘election hub’ on our website, which you can find here.

Election Analysis

The Election Debate on… Defence
Given the prominence of national security in the UK election debate, perhaps unsurprisingly, our first blog of our Election Watch series focused on how the election debate around national security has unfolded. Evie Aspinall explores how the Conservatives had initially set out to frame the election around building a ‘secure future’ for the UK and how Sunak’s decision to leave the D-Day Anniversary celebrations early has upended both the Conservatives’ and Labour’s approach to national security in the election campaign.

READ IT HERE

The Election Debate on… Europe
While neither the Conservatives and Labour favour rejoining the EU customs union or the single market – let alone the EU itself – the two parties’ approaches to Europe present one of the sharpest dividing lines on foreign policy. Eliza Keogh explores what a potential government might look for in relation to Europe, and how feasible those ambitions are.

READ IT HERE

The Election Debate on… International Partners
Evie Aspinall explores the future of the UK’s international partnerships post-election – particularly, what regions might emerge as a priority under the next administration, and what any shifts in priorities might mean for our international partners.

READ IT HERE

The Election Debate on… China
Eliza Keogh explores the 2024 general election debates around the future of the UK’s approach to China, as we head into a decade of heightened China-Western competition.

READ IT HERE

The Election Debate on… Climate Action
Evie Aspinall and Jessica Riseborough explore the 2024 general election debates around climate action, and how the former cross-party consensus on tackling the climate crisis has splintered.

READ IT HERE

The Election Debate on… International Trade
Evie Aspinall explores the different parties’ approaches to the future of UK international trade, and what we can expect post-election, in a world of rising economic isolationism.

READ IT HERE

Elsewhere at BFPG…

While the UK is understandably consumed by its own elections, global politics doesn’t stop moving. The biggest geopolitical moment this month has been the European parliament elections, which saw big gains from the far right, even as the centre held overall. We have two write-ups from the election, one from BFPG Senior Advisor David Landsman on what the election result might mean for the UK (read it here) and another from CER Fellow Christina Kessler on how far to the right the EU has, or hasn’t moved. Read Christina’s blog here.

South Africa also faced a major election moment earlier this month, with the ANC losing its majority in parliament, in a landmark moment for the country. BFPG Associate Fellow and former South African diplomat Mohamed Cassimjee explores what it all means for South Africa and for bilateral relations here.

We were also delighted to host the Georgian Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Sophie Katsarava MBE, this month in for a frank and open roundtable discussing the geopolitical facing the UK, Georgia and the wider global environment.