It is just over two months since Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government took office, but already there are clear signs that the UK will be adopting a new approach to key foreign policy issues under his leadership.
From the UK’s approach to the Gaza conflict to the war in Ukraine, Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy seem determined to break with the previous Conservative administration’s handling of key global security issues.
During the 14 years the Conservatives were in power, the UK broadly aligned itself with the US on major international issues, from its handling of the long-running civil war in Syria to the more recent conflict in Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion.
Irrespective of whether the Conservative leader was a Centrist, such as David Cameron, Theresa May and, more latterly, Rishi Sunak, or of a more Right-wing disposition, such as Boris Johnson, British foreign policy remained broadly the same while the Conservatives were in power, with London making its support for key allies such as the US, Israel and Ukraine some of its key priorities.
Significant change
Since Labour won its landslide victory in July’s general election, there have been clear signs that, under Starmer’s leadership, there is likely to be a significant change in the UK’s approach to major foreign policy issues, one that constitutes a break with the policies pursued by the previous Conservative administration.
One noticeable difference that has already become evident is that one of the Starmer government’s first priorities will be to repair relations with the European Union after the upset caused by the 2016 Brexit vote.
Under the Conservatives, the UK’s priority was to build a new network of global trade relationships, with an emphasis on signing trade deals with Asia, the Middle East and America.
Under Starmer’s leadership, the pendulum has swung decisively back towards the EU, with the prime minister making it clear during recent meetings with key European leaders, such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, that he is keen to establish a more constructive relationship with the EU on a range of issues including trade, immigration and defence.
