The United Kingdom has not had a foreign policy for the past three years. We have been entirely preoccupied with Brexit, leaving no energy for the rest of the world. In all likelihood that will continue to be the case during the negotiations on the new relationship over the next year, and probably longer.
Douglas Hurd famously claimed in foreign policy we boxed above our weight but for the past few years, we have not even been boxing. Returning to the ring is not going to be easy. When I travel to conflict zones around the world no one is asking what Britain thinks. Making them interested again will require an extraordinary effort.
Since the Second World War, our foreign policy has been built on two pillars: Europe and the transatlantic relationship. We have just kicked away one of those pillars and we have done so when the presidency in the US is filled by someone who does not share our values and has proved himself an unreliable ally.
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By leaving the large alliance on our doorstep and opting to be ourselves alone, we have decided to swim against the tide of history. Everyone else is trying to join one of the whales like the European Union, US and China. We have decided to be a minnow in the age of globalisation. As Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, put it this week, Britain is going to have to come to terms with being a small country.
The alternative put forward by Dominic Raab of ad hoc alliances on individual issues, is not credible. The point of alliances like the EU is that you support your allies in the knowledge that they will stand by you when you face problems, as Ireland has just discovered during the negotiation over Northern Ireland. Making the relationship purely transactional on a case-by-case basis means that when we face serious challenges, we will be alone.
The other alternative put forward by Brexiteers of an “Anglosphere” where we build a new alliance with Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the US is risible. They don’t want us, and they don’t share our interests – they are a long way away and their populations are now highly multicultural, not English exiles.
1/20 Britain votes to leave the European Union – 23 June 2016
A referendum is held on Britain’s membership of the European Union. Fifty-two per cent of the country votes in favour of leaving
AFP via Getty
2/20 David Cameron resigns – 24 June 2016
David Cameron resigns on the morning of the result after leading the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU
Getty
3/20 Theresa May takes the reins – 13 July 2016
Theresa May becomes leader of the Conservative party and prime minister, winning the leadership contest unopposed after Andrea Leadsom drops out
Getty
4/20 High Court rules parliament must vote on Brexit – November 2016 – 3 November 2016
The High Court rules that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, which would begin the Brexit process
5/20 Article 50 triggered – 28 March 2017
The prime minister triggers Article 50 after parliament endorses the result of the referendum
Getty
6/20 May calls snap election – 18 April 2018
Seeking a mandate for her Brexit plan, May goes to the country
Getty
7/20 May loses majority as Labour makes surprise gain – 8 June 2017
After a disastrous campaign, Theresa May loses her majority in the commons and turns to the DUP for support. Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party makes gains after being predicted to lose heavily
AFP/Getty
8/20 Negotiations begin – 19 June 2017
David Davis and Michel Barnier, chief negotiators for the UK and EU respectively, hold a press conference on the first day of Brexit negotiations. Soon after the beginning of negotiations, it becomes clear that the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will prove a major sticking point
AFP/Getty
9/20 MPs vote that withdrawal deal must be ratified by parliament – 13 December 2017
The government suffers a defeat in parliament over the EU withdrawal agreement, guaranteeing that MPs are given a ‘meaningful vote’ on the deal
10/20 Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary – 11 July 2018
Following a summit at Chequers where the prime minister claimed to have gained cabinet support for her deal, Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary along with David Davis, the Brexit secretary
Reuters
11/20 Draft withdrawal agreement – 15 November 2018
The draft withdrawal agreement settles Britain’s divorce bill, secures the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa and includes a political declaration commiting both parties to frictionless trade in goods and cooperation on security matters. The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest
Getty
12/20 May resigns – 24 May 2019
After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns
Reuters
13/20 Johnson takes over – 24 July 2019
Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. He later heads to Buckingham Palace where the Queen invites him to form a government
Getty
14/20 Parliament prorogued – 28 August 2019
Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK’s agreed departure date of 31 October.
Stephen Morgan MP
15/20 Prorogation ruled unlawful – 24 September 2019
The High Court rules that Johnson’s prorogation of parliament is ‘unlawful’ after a legal challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller
Getty
16/20 Johnson agrees deal with Varadkar – October
Following a summit in Merseyside, Johnson agrees a compromise to the backstop with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar – making the withdrawal agreement more palatable to Brexiteers
Getty
17/20 Final Say march demands second referendum – 19 October 2019
As parliament passes the Letwin amendment requiring the prime minister to request a further delay to Brexit, protesters take to the streets in the final show of force for a Final Say referendum
Getty
18/20 Johnson wins 80 seat majority – 12 December 2019
The Conservatives win the December election in a landslide, granting Boris Johnson a large majority to pass through his brexit deal and pursue his domestic agenda
Getty
19/20 Withdrawal deal passes parliament – 20 December 2019
The withdrawal agreement passes through the commons with a majority of 124
Getty
20/20 EU parliament backs UK withdrawal deal – 29 January 2020
Members of the European parliament overwhelmingly back the ratification of Britain’s departure, clearing the way for Brexit two days later on 31 January. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne
AFP/Getty
1/20 Britain votes to leave the European Union – 23 June 2016
A referendum is held on Britain’s membership of the European Union. Fifty-two per cent of the country votes in favour of leaving
AFP via Getty
2/20 David Cameron resigns – 24 June 2016
David Cameron resigns on the morning of the result after leading the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU
Getty
3/20 Theresa May takes the reins – 13 July 2016
Theresa May becomes leader of the Conservative party and prime minister, winning the leadership contest unopposed after Andrea Leadsom drops out
Getty
4/20 High Court rules parliament must vote on Brexit – November 2016 – 3 November 2016
The High Court rules that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, which would begin the Brexit process
5/20 Article 50 triggered – 28 March 2017
The prime minister triggers Article 50 after parliament endorses the result of the referendum
Getty
6/20 May calls snap election – 18 April 2018
Seeking a mandate for her Brexit plan, May goes to the country
Getty
7/20 May loses majority as Labour makes surprise gain – 8 June 2017
After a disastrous campaign, Theresa May loses her majority in the commons and turns to the DUP for support. Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party makes gains after being predicted to lose heavily
AFP/Getty
8/20 Negotiations begin – 19 June 2017
David Davis and Michel Barnier, chief negotiators for the UK and EU respectively, hold a press conference on the first day of Brexit negotiations. Soon after the beginning of negotiations, it becomes clear that the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will prove a major sticking point
AFP/Getty
9/20 MPs vote that withdrawal deal must be ratified by parliament – 13 December 2017
The government suffers a defeat in parliament over the EU withdrawal agreement, guaranteeing that MPs are given a ‘meaningful vote’ on the deal
10/20 Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary – 11 July 2018
Following a summit at Chequers where the prime minister claimed to have gained cabinet support for her deal, Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary along with David Davis, the Brexit secretary
Reuters
11/20 Draft withdrawal agreement – 15 November 2018
The draft withdrawal agreement settles Britain’s divorce bill, secures the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa and includes a political declaration commiting both parties to frictionless trade in goods and cooperation on security matters. The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest
Getty
12/20 May resigns – 24 May 2019
After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns
Reuters
13/20 Johnson takes over – 24 July 2019
Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. He later heads to Buckingham Palace where the Queen invites him to form a government
Getty
14/20 Parliament prorogued – 28 August 2019
Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK’s agreed departure date of 31 October.
Stephen Morgan MP
15/20 Prorogation ruled unlawful – 24 September 2019
The High Court rules that Johnson’s prorogation of parliament is ‘unlawful’ after a legal challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller
Getty
16/20 Johnson agrees deal with Varadkar – October
Following a summit in Merseyside, Johnson agrees a compromise to the backstop with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar – making the withdrawal agreement more palatable to Brexiteers
Getty
17/20 Final Say march demands second referendum – 19 October 2019
As parliament passes the Letwin amendment requiring the prime minister to request a further delay to Brexit, protesters take to the streets in the final show of force for a Final Say referendum
Getty
18/20 Johnson wins 80 seat majority – 12 December 2019
The Conservatives win the December election in a landslide, granting Boris Johnson a large majority to pass through his brexit deal and pursue his domestic agenda
Getty
19/20 Withdrawal deal passes parliament – 20 December 2019
The withdrawal agreement passes through the commons with a majority of 124
Getty
20/20 EU parliament backs UK withdrawal deal – 29 January 2020
Members of the European parliament overwhelmingly back the ratification of Britain’s departure, clearing the way for Brexit two days later on 31 January. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne
AFP/Getty
In these circumstances our choices are limited. First, we will have to try to keep as close a relationship as we can with the EU in terms of foreign policy and defence. Already the government has done that on the nuclear agreement with Iran and on the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, where we issued a common statement with France and Germany. We will have to try to go further and regain a seat as a semi-detached member of the European foreign policy decision-making process in Brussels if we want, for example, China to listen to us on Hong Kong.
At the same time, Boris Johnson will have to turn himself into the “Trump whisperer”, interpreting Trump to Europe and Europe to Trump. His current attempts are not working well, on Huawei or on Iran, where having issued a statement with Europe he issued another contradictory one siding with the US. Two-timing like this may have worked in his private life but is unlikely to work with Trump.
We are never going to regain the position we had in the world before Brexit where we were able to leverage our position inside the EU and the close relationship with the US to maximise our influence, but we will have to try to carve out a niche for ourselves as we re-engage. To do that we will require strong leadership and a clear vision of what that new role is, something sadly lacking so far with a prime minister who has hidden himself away when crises arise and failed to articulate a clear new role for the United Kingdom.
Jonathan Powell was chief of staff to Tony Blair from 1995 to 2007
