01 Oct BFPG’s September Review
Conference season is in full swing as we reach the end of September, and off the back of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last week, the UN Summit of the Future, and the 79th UN General Assembly high-level debate in New York, we can start to see a more complete policy landscape starting to take shape for our new Government.
On the foreign policy front, the Prime Minister notably delivered one of his first and few internationally-focused addresses at the UNGA in New York, delving into the UK’s commitment to sustainable climate action, international development, and conflict prevention and de-escalation. But the striking takeaway from the address must be Starmer’s reiteration of his proposed shift for the UK’s international approach, namely “listening a bit more – speaking a bit less”. Once again, the message of equitable partnerships cuts through, aiming to pave the way for more collaborative approaches that plainly underpin the new Government’s international strategy.
We will need to wait and see how this translates into new or reinvigorated international partnerships, but importantly, also monitor how effectively the UK Government is able to bring the British public with it on this journey, who we currently find to be highly cautious of engagement with ‘non-traditional’ allies in our 2024 Annual Survey (more below).
As BFPG prepares to get back into the post-conference swing of things, please do get in touch with questions, queries, and opportunities, as we begin shaping what 2025 will bring.
BFPG’s 2024 Annual Survey on Public Opinion
BFPG was delighted to launch its 2024 Annual Survey of UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy this month, which charts the key trends in public perceptions of the UK’s international activity, as Britons respond to a new set of Government ambitions and an increasingly turbulent geopolitical environment.
The results show high levels of insecurity among Britons, resulting in high levels of caution, particularly when it comes to engagement with nations whose values may differ from their own. But Britons’ nervousness about the global environment does not translate into significant support for increased spending on national security or international development, with Britons very concerned about the financial costs of any such uplift. Instead, Britons wish to reprioritise the UK’s traditional alliances, not least the EU and the United States.
READ IT HERE
We were then delighted to be joined by an excellent line up of speakers at our report launch event. We greatly appreciated the insights of Sir Wayne David, former Shadow Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Robert Courts KC, former Solicitor General for England and Wales, Laura Chappell, Associate Director at IPPR, and Aphrodite George-Vamvakopoulou, Partner at Critical Publics, as well as all of those who joined us for the session.
European Heads of Mission Briefing
BFPG was privileged to host a number of European Heads of Mission and their deputies recently, for a roundtable briefing on our 2024 Annual Survey of UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy. The session explored the full breadth of the survey, with a particular focus on the appetite for, and future of, UK-European cooperation. We thank all who attended and participated for such an interesting and insightful session, and we look forward to welcoming the non-European Heads of Mission to our upcoming briefing in a few days, to collect and share insights from outside the European reigon.
Elsewhere at BFPG
On the 17th September, BFPG was delighted to co-host with British Expertise International the Global Chair and senior leadership of Absa, for an interactive session exploring political, economic and development opportunities between the UK and Africa. We thank all who took the time to join us.
The next day saw BFPG launch its inaugural Economic Security and Trade Commission meeting, welcoming a wide range of stakeholders who are engaged in in ensuring the effective implementation of economic security in all its aspects. The Commission aims to facilitate conversation between representatives from across Government, the financial sector and industry and seek to explore the most effective parameters, ambitions, and scope of the Commission to maximise its effectiveness.
Finally, following the lauch of BFPG’s 2024 Annual Survey, Director Evie Aspinall spoke to Bloomberg UK Politics to discuss where UK public opinion currently sits on foreign policy, as well as the correlation between Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s international diplomatic efforts with his domestic agenda. LISTEN HERE.
