BFPG's September 2026 Review

Greetings from BFPG,

September was the month Britain’s new government had to show its hand. Looking back, it was an eventful 30 days, from the government's fresh commitments at home to its presence on the international stage. In early September, Ed Miliband announced a ban on importing goods made in West Bank settlements, in coordination with some of the UK’s key allies. Burnham’s UN debut at UNGA aimed to present the UK as an “honest broker” and a bridge builder in a divided world, and pledged to push global AI principles during the UK’s G20 presidency. Domestically, the UK party conferences were central to the month's activities. In his speech to the Labour Party conference, Andy Burnham signalled a sharper turn towards Europe, declaring that Brexit ‘has done more harm than good’. Throughout October, BFPG will continue to be on hand with all the latest news and analysis. But first, a quick review of what we did in September.

BFPG Out and About

BFPG had a busy month as things got back underway after the summer break. We were across the UK, continuing conversations around our 2026 Annual Survey findings and briefing key stakeholders and government departments. This included two excellent sessions with London’s Diplomatic Corps, bringing together over 40 foreign Embassies and High Commissions for briefings on how Britons' view the world and the UK's place in it.

We were delighted to continue our Diplomatic Hour Series, this time featuring the Acting High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Dr M. Nazrul Islam.

We also held a session with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), which focused on what democratic practice can teach us about a whole-of-society approach to national security. Many thanks to our participants, our speakers, and WFD for bringing its research to the discussion. Click the following link for key highlights from the session: Learning from democratic practice to advance a whole-of-society approach to national security.

A New Civil Partnership: The Case for a National Resilience Corps

In September, ThinkLabour launched its latest report, co-authored by BFPG Senior Fellow Ed Arnold and Senior Researcher Jack Pannell, with a foreword from Al Carns MP, setting out the case for a voluntary National Resilience Corps and drawing on fresh polling, focus groups, and lessons from allied whole-of-society defence models.

The report was also discussed at the Labour Party Conference during a ThinkLabour panel on national resilience with Al Carns MP, chaired by Lord Forbes of Newcastle CBE. Read the full report below:

‍A New Civil Partnership: The Case for a National Resilience Corps

BFPG in the Media

Euronews: NATO's deterrence increasingly undermined by lack of response to Russian 'hybrid' attacks‍

‍Ed Arnold, Senior Fellow at BFPG, discusses escalating Russian aggression across NATO territory with Euronews: “By doing nothing, we are chipping away at the deterrence value of NATO.”

Euronews: UK to review Chagos deal after Trump tells Burnham it is 'terrible'‍‍

Jack Pannell discusses the Chagos deal and Andy Burnham's meeting with President Trump with Euronews: "Success for Burnham means avoiding this issue becoming a millstone around his neck while he pursues his other foreign policy priorities and focuses on his domestic agenda (...) The chances of a breakthrough on this issue are slim, and that may suit the prime minister just fine."

Sky News: Report calls for a National Resilience Corps formed of thousands of volunteers

‍Sky News covers the new ThinkLabour Report, co-authored by BFPG Senior Fellow Ed Arnold and Senior Researcher Jack Pannell: "The NRC would help turn willingness into practical capability by giving people the training and experience to support their communities in a crisis, according to Ed Arnold, a senior fellow at the BFPG."

Read our Latest Analysis

Prime Minister Burnham and the case of the Inescapable Foreign Policy: BFPG’s Executive Chair, David Landsman, examines the areas of foreign policy that will require the attention of the Prime Minister.

‍Making the Table: Why the UK Needs to Engage Young People in its Security: Alastair Nichol argues that young people are central to the UK's defence, and government should do more to engage them in national security.

‍Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Lessons from the War in the Middle East: BFPG Senior Research Fellow Mohamed Cassimjee examines the implications of, and lessons from, the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.