After the turmoil of the past few weeks, the last few days have been somewhat calmer. Critical discussion and analysis continues into what Truss and Kwarteng are trying to do. Truss did earn some credit for her decision to attend the first meeting of President Macron’s European Political Community. For many commentators, however, the outlook for the UK remains bleak.
Here then are my British Foreign Policy 10 from the week that included the 60th anniversary of James Bond’s first appearance in Dr No: 10 of the best reports, podcasts, twitter threads speeches etc. that I’ve added to my Zotero database this past week.
The turmoil that has defined the first few weeks of Liz Truss’s time as prime minister is the inevitable outcome of the Brexit revolution devouring its children. That, at least, is the view of Andrew Marr in a piece of the New Statesman.
Paul Krugman writing in the New York Times is equally damning as Marr. ‘How Liz Truss did so much damage in so few days’
Pankaj Mishra at Bloomberg complains that ‘British Bungling Makes It Hard to Be an Anglophile’. A chaotic government, rising debt, low productivity and much more contrast with the elegance and planning of the Queen’s funeral.
The news that King Charles will not speak at Cop27 continues to spark rumours that the PM stopped him because her government is preparing to rollback environmental regulations. India Bourke in the new Statesman explores the constitutional issues, especially those surrounding the King’s role as both head of a Commonwealth where a large number of member states are worried about climate change and as the king of several countries on the frontline of climate change.
The King might not be attending Cop27, but to many peoples surprise Liz Truss attended the first meeting of the European Political Community. Mujtaba Rahman over on Politico is clear that while this is a welcome step forward it’s not about to undo all the damaged relations from the last few years.
Dalibor Rohac, writing for the Spectator, is also hopeful about what Truss’s participation in the EPC heralds. ‘Many Europeans continue to yearn for British leadership.’
The prospect of significant spending cuts across government inevitably means cuts to the FCDO. Beckie Smith writing in Civil Service World looks at the situation facing the Office.
Will UK participation in Horizon be another victim of Brexit? Prof Catherine Barnard for the UK in a Changing Europe look at attempts to keep the UK involved.
The FCDO might be facing significant spending cuts, and British universities might soon find themselves outside Horizon. But one man can be relied on to keep the British end up. This week marked the 60th anniversary of the release of the first Bond film, Dr No. David Sexton at the New Statesman looks back at a man and franchise that has become a defining and unstoppable global image of post-war and post-empire Britain.
And finally… is it Carlos, Karel or Karl? And is he to be referred to as roi, król, or König? Prof Neil Bermel, writing for The Conversation, looks at the difficult balancing act translators face in working out how to refer to King Charles III.