An incoming Labour government will face a daunting array of foreign and defence policy challenges, many of which are beyond the ability of any one country to resolve. Willingness to engage in multilateral, cooperative approaches to common problems – and unstinting support for the UN charter – must be guiding principles.
Immediate challenges include the foreign and domestic ramifications of the wars in Ukraine and Palestine, and the prospect of a new rightwing US administration. If a re-elected Donald Trump broke with Europe and Nato and dissolved the “special relationship”, Britain could be dangerously isolated, considering it is already divorced from Europe.
Longer-term challenges include vexed efforts to tackle the climate crisis, food insecurity, mass migration and political instability; poverty, protectionism, and debt relief; the rise of China and similar authoritarian, anti-democratic regimes; the deteriorating global security situation; disrespect for international law and human rights; and AI and cyberterrorism.
Here are three priority policy areas where a Labour government could demonstrate global leadership and make a positive difference.
The proliferation of nuclear weapons poses an existential threat to humankind and is accelerating around the world. There are nine nuclear weapon states, ranked by total number of........