The Major Foreign Policy Goals for the United Kingdom, As Outlined in a Speech by Jack

Kyle Tierney

Amy Hermalik

Justin Miller

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, also widely known as Great Britain or England, is one of the world’s leaders in from an economic standpoint, as well as in terms of influence in international relations. The U.K. has the 20th largest population in the world with nearly 60 million at the end of 2002. The British islands are located just west of the European continent. This location has served to give the United Kingdom considerable influence in international relations by providing sovereignty and independence from the continental European powers, as well as giving the U.K. the role of a bridge in relations between the powers to the west (the United States), and England’s traditional European neighbors.

The major foreign policy goals for the United Kingdom, as outlined in a speech by Jack Straw before the FCO Leadership on June 6th, 2003 are:

“1) To minimize the threat to international and domestic security posed by weapons of mass destruction and terrorism;

2)To minimize other threats to the UK, such as uncontrolled migration, transnational crime and extremism in the Islamic world;

3)To maintain a stable international system based on the UN, the rule of law and multilateral co-operation;

4)To promote UK economic interests in an open and expanding global economy;

5)To promote democracy, good governance, and development- as we are doing with the NEPAD- the new partnership for Africa’s development;

6)To bolster the security of British and global energy supplies;

7)And to build a strong European Union in a secure neighborhood.”[i]

The United Kingdom holds a special relationship with the United States, which it wants to maintain, utilize, and respect. However, The United Kingdom is also committed to the idea of acting as a bridge between the US and the rest of Europe. To do this, and to maintain its clout as a powerful nation, it must walk a narrow line. The recent war in Iraq placed many European nations (including France and Germany) at odds with the U.S. Maintaining strong relationships with other European nations is important to the United Kingdom because of its involvement in the European Union and because of its role as a broker between the US and Europe, which can add to the power and prestige of the UK, if done correctly.

The UK also has a narrow line to walk with the EU, balancing the needs of the European Union with their own interests. They want to support the EU and be a prominent part of it, however, they want to maintain their power and elite status as one of the most prominent European nations. As a result, the UK’s involvement in the EU has been a bit hesitant- one foot in, one foot out. They’ve kept certain restrictive policies in place that other nations have done away with. However, there’s good reason for it, the UK has the most to lose with an EU gone bad. They want to have a leadership role in the EU though, and they’re aware of the benefits of involvement with the EU if it goes well, so it’s important that they keep the other members of the EU happy with shows of genuine commitment.

The UK also places a great deal of emphasis on the United Nations and NATO. They want to see an increased role for international law and international, multilateral action. The recent events in Iraq slightly compromised the UK’s reputation on this issue.

The UK has a very open, international economy, and wishes to keep it that way, potentially opening it up even more. Primarily foreign companies control their water, electric, and energy sources.

Domestic variables that currently impact foreign relations are the events concerning Iraq and how that has shaped public opinion about the US and prime minister Tony Blair. Adding to this is an increased discontent within Britain about Blair and the Labour party’s attempts to revamp social services within the country. If it had worked, it would’ve been well received, but instead, it appears a great deal of money has been poured into the cause with few results. As a result of domestic discontent, Blair is trying to put distance between himself and the US and put emphasis on what he can do domestically. Recently he opted out of a large conference of nations in NY to give a speech at a local university, in an attempt to place some distance between himself and the US and let the citizens of the United Kingdom know that they are his priority.

The United Kingdom is proud of its reputation throughout the world as a promoter of peaceful diplomatic relations, and considers many states and groups to be important friends and allies.

United States

One of the closest “friends” of the U.K. is the United States of America. Since the end of World War II, the U.K. and U.S. have had what has been termed a “special relationship,” with the U.K. acting as a bridge between the United States and Europe. This position has given Britain considerable influence in trans-Atlantic relations. The U.S. and U.K. maintain very close diplomatic and intelligence ties, and there is a large degree of military cooperation between both states. Recently, the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the U.S. has been both renewed and strengthened due to strong bilateral cooperation in the “war on terror” in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

European Union

The United Kingdom also holds important friendships with nearly all of the states in Europe, represented through the European Union (EU). The U.K. prefers to maintain a larger degree of sovereignty and separation from the EU than most other member-states do; yet the U.K. recognizes the important economic and security relationships that the EU fosters. The U.K. has benefited from the free trade, tariff-removing economic regime of the EU as well as the trade conflict resolution body, which mitigates economic disputes between member states. However, to date Britain has rejected adoption of the Euro, preferring to keep the pound as its currency.

France

France is an important friend of the United Kingdom, with whom it interacts both through the EU and on a bilateral level. The U.K. and France have historically had a relationship of friendship intermixed with disputes which cause feelings of enmity and spite on both sides. However, when mitigating these disputes, the leaders of the U.K. and France realize the tightly converging interests, social, economic and otherwise, that both states have. There are also strong similarities between the states, and the U.K. recognizes the importance of cooperation and friendship between itself and France. Recently, Britain and France have had a large dispute over the war in Iraq, which the U.K. supported along with the United States, and France vehemently opposed. Although this has caused a significant strain in relations, the U.K. has worked to rebuild and strengthen ties to France.

Germany

As with France, bilateral relations between the U.K. and Germany have been damaged by the disagreement over the war in Iraq, which Germany also strongly opposed. The economies of Germany and the U.K. are still strongly linked and cooperate under the free-trade agreement set up by the European Union. However, political and diplomatic ties have been decreased by the disputes over Iraq. The U.K. is taking steps to reconcile and rebuild a strong relationship with Germany, and is willing to use diplomacy in order to achieve this end.

Russia

The U.K has developed an important friendship with Russia during the post-Cold War period, creating a growing relationship between both states that has boosted economic and political ties. The United Kingdom is the largest foreign investor in Russia, especially investments into oil and gas extraction. As a result the U.K. and Russia both desire close economic cooperation, especially regarding energy. The leaders of both states have recognized the profound importance that a long-term bilateral partnership holds for each. Also, Prime Minister Blair of the U.K. and President Putin of Russia have a close, friendly personal relationship which has aided cooperation between the nations, especially regarding military cooperation and discussions over global security issues. Although the U.K. and Russia disagreed over the war in Iraq, any damage to relations has been quickly erased due to the influence of strengthening economic ties.

Japan

The United Kingdom views Japan as a friend, with British Foreign Minister Jack Straw stating simply, “Britain and Japan have excellent bilateral relations.”[1] Although political and diplomatic are only moderately close, the U.K. and Japan both enjoy open economic relations. These nearly seamless relations have prompted the U.K. to support Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

China

China is increasingly becoming a significantly important friend to the U.K. Although political and diplomatic ties are not yet close, they are slowly strengthening. The recent turnover of Hong Kong to China by Britain in 1998 has by necessity required cooperation by both states, which has in turn fostered significant relations. The real importance of U.K.-China affairs is the huge potential that economic cooperation holds for both. In recent years, there has been a rapid growth in mutual investment by both states, and although British imports from China comprise a very small percentage of its total (2.6% in 2001), they are quickly increasing.

Hungary

The U.K. is eager to build and strengthen ties to Hungary, a new fellow member state of the EU, and a friend that is gaining importance. As a champion of enlargement of the EU, the U.K. strongly supported Hungary’s joining the European Union. Over the years since the end of the Cold War, Britain has pushed for the development of commercial relations with Hungary, and continues to strengthen ties today.

Ukraine

The U.K. also seeks strengthened ties and trade to the Ukraine, with whom it already has friendly relations. Britain and the Ukraine have begun to develop military ties, having already participated in several joint military and peacekeeping exercises. As bilateral relations improve, the U.K. is optimistic that economic and political ties will grow.

India

As a fairly recent former colony of the United Kingdom, relations between India and the U.K. are friendly, yet occasionally rocky as India asserts its independence in both domestic and foreign affairs. The U.K. is interested primarily in fostering peace and stability between India and Pakistan, another former colony, and will continue to build bilateral relations with India in order to achieve this objective.

Pakistan

As another former British colony, relations between the U.K. and Pakistan are friendly yet occasionally tense. The U.K. wants to use its diplomatic position in order to help in defusing tensions and creating a lasting peace between Pakistan and India, two nuclear powers. As a diplomatic bridge between the U.S. and the rest of the world the U.K. is rewarding Pakistan for its cooperative role in the war on terror by making new efforts to build defense relations and bilateral assistance in other areas. Britain hopes that these relations will provide an impetus towards resolving Pakistan’s disputes with India.

Israel

Although relations between the U.K. and Israel are generally considered to be friendly, in light of the ongoing dispute between Israel and Palestine, the U.K. has restrained its bilateral relations with Israel in order to maintain neutrality. Although Britain is playing a leading role in attempting to build a lasting peace in the Middle East, bilateral relations with Israel have recently worsened due in part to Israel’s right-leaning government spurning U.K. efforts toward peace, with senior Israeli leaders referring to British Prime Minister Blair as a “hysterical Englishman.” This most likely comes in response to the U.K. refusing to sideline Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat in the peace process, as both Israel and the United States have done. The U.K. maintains that the exclusion of Arafat is significantly blocking progress towards peace.

Palestine

The U.K. also maintains friendly relations with the Palestinian Authority, but attempts to remain diplomatically neutral in order to aid the peace process. However, official U.K. sympathy towards Palestine has grown in the wake of Israeli refusal to lift travel bans on Palestinian delegates traveling to peace conferences held within the U.K. Also, Britain officially opposes the Israeli construction of the security fence around the West Bank, and holds that removal of this barrier is an essential step towards peace. The United Kingdom will continue to maintain bilateral discussions with Palestine and Israel to aid progress towards peace in the Middle East.

Syria

The U.K. has attempted to maintain friendly relations with Syria, but it has been rebuffed and diplomatically embarrassed in these attempts, which has strained bilateral relations. The U.K., however, has continued its efforts towards friendship because it views Syria as a near-failed state that, if aided by British guidance, could play a strong role in resolving the conflict in the Middle East. The U.K. has opposed Syria’s illicit importation of Iraqi oil against U.N. sanctions before the fall of the Iraqi regime, as well as Syria’s support and harboring of Palestinian terrorist groups.

Iran

While bilateral discussions between the United Kingdom and Iran occur regularly, Iran could not be described as a “friend” of the U.K. due to several significant disputes. The U.K. strongly opposes Iran’s current apparent attempt at development of a nuclear weapons program, and through the EU has threatened trade penalties on Iran if it continues non-compliance with nuclear proliferation treaties. Also, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has recently openly supported anti-government demonstrators within Iran, saying they were “fighting for freedom.” In spite of this, relations have recently improved with British Foreign Minister Jack Straw making diplomatic trips to Iran in order to learn Tehran’s interests in Iraq, as well as general Islamic interests in resolving the Middle East conflict. During these discussions Straw also relayed strong pressure to Iran to prevent its involvement in the rebuilding of Iraq, as well as to continue in its efforts to staunch fundamentalist terrorism within Iran’s borders.

Disputes

The United Kingdom is currently engaged in several international disputes, which it hopes can be resolved with diplomacy and equity in mind. These include:

-dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Isles

-dispute with Denmark and Iceland over the rights to the Rockall continental shelf

-dispute over Gibraltar with Spain. Recently, a plan for shared sovereignty between the U.K and Spain has been proposed.

-dispute over Britain’s Antarctic territorial claim, which overlaps those of Chile and Argentina

The United Kingdom does not rely much upon the idiosyncratic tendencies of the its leaders in the making and deliberation of its foreign policy. The role domestic variable holds greater jurisdiction in the nation’s foreign policy. This is mostly because of the structure of the United Kingdom’s executive branch. The branch consists of a Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his own handpicked cabinet, each of which is assigned a specific area in which they monitor. The idiosyncrasies of these leaders may come out, but for the most part each must remain true to their role. An overview of the entire branch, however, suggests that as a whole the Prime Minister’s idiosyncrasies are still found because it is most likely that the cabinet leaders all reflect in some way the ideals of the Prime Minister. In the end the role variable wins out in influencing foreign policy most in the United Kingdom because of the Prime Minister’s ability to remove any cabinet members who do not fulfill their duties, requiring the role to be played and not one’s own beliefs. A similar situation is in place for the Prime Minister himself in that if he does not live up to his role, he may face a vote of no confidence. The complexity of the United Kingdom’s government and the nation’s age shift the country’s leaders to follow in their roles rather than in their own beliefs.

The governmental domestic variable affects the foreign policy of the United Kingdom much more so than does the societal domestic variable. This is mostly because of the government structure. The United Kingdom is classified as a constitutional monarchy. The country holds close to a democratic doctrine, and although its people do have a say in government, in the end it is more likely that the executive branch will determine the nation’s foreign policy standing. This is not to say that all of the United Kingdom's foreign policy is determined solely based upon the government. Industry and agriculture unions play a key role in the foreign policy as well. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is another societal variable that plays into the foreign policy activity.

Finally, the systemic domestic variable plays a quite heavy factor in the United Kingdom’s foreign policy activity. The gross domestic product in 2001 was about $1.47 trillion, one of the highest among all nations. This allows the United Kingdom greater flexibility in creating their foreign policy, because unless a major action is taken, the economic infrastructure will not change vastly. A majority of trade occurs between the United Kingdom and members of the European Union and the United States. The United Kingdom is also allied with these nations; therefore, it is unlikely that any of the trade would cease. The United Kingdom is fairly self-sufficient when it comes to producing its own food in agriculture; some 60% of its agriculture is produced with only 1% of its labor force. Fuel sources are the only real resource limiting the ability of the United Kingdom, therefore, it is important that the United Kingdom stay on good terms with its fuel producing partners. The United Kingdom is not able to force it way with these nations because of this. The communications system is considered to be well advanced both domestically and internationally, therefore it can be assumed that this will not limit the nation in any way when making foreign policy. A similar estimate can be made of the transportation systems both internally and externally. The conventional military may be smaller than many nations; however, it still has one of the highest military expenditures, suggesting that the might of the military is greater than its size. The nuclear capability also gives the United Kingdom a bit more leverage than non-nuclear nations; however, it is highly unlikely that these will be used in a threatening manner to gain favor in the foreign policy.