The Easter break and some Munro bagging meant a short break for British Foreign Policy Must-Reads. Below are just ten pieces from the past two weeks that caught my eye.
President Biden in Northern Ireland ~ Remarks by President Biden Marking the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.
UK, Ireland and Brexit ~ New Statesman: Nick Ferris — Ireland booms while Brexit Britain whimpers next door. While Joe Biden visits Ireland, Brexiteers said their closest EU neighbour would be “doomed” – now it’s set to be the top-performing economy in Europe this year.
Costs of Brexit ~ Spectator: Robert Tombs — Remainers should be honest about the costs of Brexit. Those opposed to leaving the European Union repeatedly accuse Brexit of being based on ignorance fed by lies. The ‘lie’ they invariably refer to is the £350 million on the side of the Boris bus. In reality, it was the Remain campaign, and its interminable Rejoiner sequel, that was and is based on systematic distortions and gross misunderstandings.
State of Britain ~ Spiegel: Jörg Schindler — The UK Faces a Steep Climb Out of a Deep Hole. Food shortages, moldy apartments, a lack of medical workers: The United Kingdom is facing a perfect storm of struggle, and millions are sliding into poverty. There is little to suggest that improvement will come anytime soon.
Global Britain ~ SWP: Nicolai von Ondarza and Dominik Rehbaum — From “Global Britain” to Realpolitik – the Updated Integrated Review. How the United Kingdom wants to position itself as a reliable partner in a competitive global order.
Integrated Review ~ UKICE: British foreign policy in a broken world. Arthur Snell reflects on the extensive shifts in the international order that have taken place over the last two years, suggesting that the UK should recognise its own contribution to the current state of disorder and that the recent Integrated Review Refresh represents a good starting point.
Indo-Pacific ~ Foreign Policy: James Crabtree — Britain’s Surprisingly Enduring Tilt to Asia. Three showcase projects anchor Britain’s future in the Indo-Pacific.
Defence ~ FT: John Paul Rathbone -- Allies keep close watch on British plans to reshape armed forces. Russian aggression and Chinese threat pose dilemma for cash-strapped, midsized military power seeking to retain global role.
Liz Truss ~ Heritage Foundation: The 2023 Margaret Thatcher Freedom Lecture. Lady Margaret Thatcher—along with her great ally, President Reagan—fought and won a crucial battle of ideas in the 1970s and 1980s. Ten years after her death, it now falls to a new generation in the Western world to fight a new raft of ideological battles which will determine whether the cherished values of freedom and democracy will continue to thrive in the 21st century. Reducing the size of the state and rejecting leftist orthodoxy are also crucial to delivering the prosperity that will ensure the forces of freedom can prevail against authoritarian regimes. These are the themes that former British Prime Minister Liz Truss will take up as she delivers the 2023 Margaret Thatcher Freedom Lecture.
Johnson in No. 10 ~ The Times: Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell — ‘I’m the Führer, the king’: inside Boris Johnson’s chaotic world In July 2019, Boris Johnson, our new prime minister, caused the first of many stirs when he appointed Dominic Cummings as his special adviser. Cummings came to be seen as the power behind the throne. But there was another pretender to that title: Carrie Symonds.