THE UK’S FOREIGN POLICIES

THE UK’S FOREIGN POLICIES

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THE UK’S FOREIGN POLICIES

Outline

I.            Introduction

II.            Background

III.            Literature Review

a)      The Economic Dimension

b)      The Political Geographic Dimension

c)      The social and Security Dimensions

d)     Description of the policies

IV.            Methodology

V.            Data/case studies

a)      U.K and U.S relationship

b)      The U.K and Iran relationship

VI.            Results

1. Conclusion

 

Introduction

A foreign policy is a course of action adopted by a country in regards to its diplomatic relations or dealings with other countries. It is established as a systematic way to deal with concerns that may arise with other countries. These are the objectives that the leaders in a nation seek to attain abroad, the values that bring the objectives, as well as, the instruments or means used to pursue the goals. Foreign policies dictate how a nation will respond with respect to other countries militarily, socially, politically and economically. A foreign policy in simpler terms is international relations or diplomacy[1].

The United Kingdom is an active leader in the global society. It uses its diplomatic network to protect its interests all over the world. The foreign policies in the U.K. aim at building and retaining Britain’s international influence in order to achieve national interests. They promote the U.K’s values such as human rights and the welfare of developing countries. The U.K’s policies engage all regions of the world on a variety of issues such as social, political, and economic issues. The U.K  has a true and strong relationship with the United States, built on common national values and history, which creates tangible benefits for both States[2]. The United Kingdom is among the founders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is among the organization’s major European air, maritime, and land powers, and ranks third in total defense expenditure among NATO countries or members.

Since 1973, the U. K. has been an associate of the European community, currently known as the European Union (EU). In addition, the United Kingdom is an associate of the Security Council. In 2005, the U.K. was in charge of the management of the G-8. The United Kingdom held the European Union Presidency as from July to December in 2005. In respect of British foreign policies, the Armed Forces of Britain are responsible of protecting the U.K., as well as, its overseas territories. They are also responsible for supporting international peacekeeping efforts and promoting Britain’s broader security interests[3]. In 2010, the government discussed the establishment of the Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR). This was established to adjust the U.K’s military in order meet the country’s future security needs. Consequently, the U.K’s armed forces’ equipment and manpower would be reduced. The U.K. royal army is responsible of the independent strategic nuclear arm. Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in America, the United Kingdom stood hand by hand with the United States. The U.K. has also military personnel in Afghanistan to aid in establishing security in the region.

Since the World War II, changes in government have not caused any significant change in the U.K. foreign policy. Both the biggest parties have shared similar illusions and aims. However, in opposition, parties have had disagreements over issues such as external affairs and defense. For instance, issues of the approach of the European Union along with the possession of nuclear weapons. The national interest of the U.K. is to press for higher European cooperation with other foreign countries over issues such as energy, defense which promote the welfare of the entire European society. What affects a foreign policy in most countries is the economy. This is so because the economy determines the policy in that cutting the spending of a nation makes it possible for the government to direct the funds saved to cater for other national and international needs. For instance, in order to fight against the issue of terrorism, the armed forces need to be equipped. Whatever the nature of policies in the United Kingdom, the interests are universal. The United Kingdom promotes multilateralism, which, in turn, leads to cooperation among the state and other nations such as the United States, and also nations within the Europe continent.

Background

Historically, the U.K. foreign policy was based on national, then self imperial and self interest. The policies promoted constitutionalism and sought to uphold democracy and good governance. Despite the need to fight against occasional wars, Britain was a peaceful and satisfied power. The first and second world wars promoted foreign relations in Europe, as countries had to unite to fight against a common enemy. The elements of continuity of the historical U.K’s foreign policy are still seen in today’s foreign policy in the region. Although Britain is not a great power, it still remains and maintains its global power. This is seen in its relations with other countries such as the United States[4]. The economy of the U.K. depends highly on markets, investments, and safe access to resources beyond the United Kingdom region.

The foreign policy in the UK largely depends on factors summed up as national sovereignty, European integration, global interdependence, the special connection between the U.K and the United States, as well as, ethics. The U.K public policy, with respect to the above mentioned factors has been a prime topic of concern among professionals and commentators of the U.K foreign policy. Policy making was improved especially after the cold war reached an end, emphasizing clarity and simplicity in the process. U.K’s relations with the United States have helped in fighting against terrorism and promoting peace and security in the two states. Consequently, spending on defense has reduced in the two states[5]. Other connections between the two states have led to development of states involved, despite a few existing challenges.

Literature Review

Foreign policies are not made in the vacuum, but are shaped by factors such as globalizing pressures (technologies), domestic factors such as the public opinion, and integrative tendencies. In this case, integrative tendencies include support from the European Union. Other factors include transnational forces such as lobbying from the nongovernmental organizations. The logic that underlies the U.K’s foreign policy development has changed remarkably little over the past decades[6]. In an ideal world, officials, ministers, and people from outside with the relevant expertise are engaged in the process of formulating and implementing policies. This takes place on the basis of a discussion of the possible courses of action, taking into consideration the relevant precedents, history and the legality of whatever is proposed. When policies are created, official agents interpret and put them into practice, so as to achieve the desired goals and objectives. During the processes of formulation, interpretation, and implementation of policies, the policies are sold to various audiences both at home and abroad[7]. These three policies of policy development, as well as, presentation of the policy are integral stages in policy making process; thus, it becomes difficult to tell where one stops, and another one starts. The combination of actors, institutions, and external pressures involved in the process of making foreign policies differ with regards to the issue or concern in question. However, the ideal of how to create a policy seems to be constant.

It is possible to identify some of the general features of the process of policy creation in the United Kingdom that apply irrespective of the political party in office. Foreign policy making is seen as a dynamic process, which exists in a dialectical connection with the outside world. This is because the same commitments and goals exist for long periods in most of the foreign policies in different parts of the world. In addition, the process of policy making is broad, and engages officials from all parts of the government, a number of outsiders from the foreign government, as well, as the NGOs. All the same the policy making remains among the most secret in government. The public, therefore, has difficulties in finding out when and where foreign policy decisions are made. This also implies that the public has difficulties in explaining the rationale behind the foreign policies. For instance, on the serious matter on the war against Iraq, parliament received only brief information from the Attorney General.

There exists a tension between the desire of the executive to lead, coordinate, and centralize the policy making process, and the secretaries’ of state desire to retain autonomy for their departments. In many cases, there is no one who rejects the need for some degree of central coordination, but in practice, no one wants to be coordinated. The process mostly involves three parties including political advisers, temporary ministers, and permanent officials. Advisers and ministers are expected to promote political goals while civil servants are supposed to demonstrate loyalty to the institutions of the state. New Labor’s foreign policy shows all these tensions and characteristics to a greater or lesser degree. According to Hill, the process of foreign policy making in the U.K. was affected by institutions such as Tony Blair’s government[8]. One of the key principles of the foreign policy making is that it is not valuable to think of the U.K. foreign policy in the singular, as the government pursues multiple policies that involve combinations of various actors, institutions, and external forces depending on the issue in concern. Foreign policies in the United Kingdom have taken a number of dimensions.

The economic dimension

In the economic sphere, a combination of technocrats, politicians, private firms and central bankers have helped in the making of New Labor’s foreign policy. This is explained in the quest for neo-liberal political economy, as well as, the relations of the U.K. with the global economy. The U.K. symbolizes an over-internationalized economy in an under-globalised world. Similar to other G8 states, the economy of the U. K. is penetrated by international capital. The economy is substantially dependent on the foreign direct investment. Brown sates that the manufacturing sector in the U.K. is dominated by firms owned by foreigners while its banks, investment houses and pension funds invest a higher proportion of their domestic capital overseas[9]. The economy of U.K. is thus, structurally susceptible to stocks initiated externally in foreign financial markets and the decisions of foreign business interests. The economy of the United States was boosted by adoption of globalization as a policy in the United Kingdom. This was before the hyper globalist thesis became popular. The HM Treasury and the Bank of England specifically, have played a crucial role in making theoretical propositions a reality in the United Kingdom.

Private firms have also played a significant role in the creation of U.K’s public policy. Diplomats are required to devote a higher proportion of their time to trade promotion activities. This has been a trend since the 1960s. Consequently, private actors have taken positions in the process of foreign policy making. This occurs at the strategic level where representatives from small and medium sized firms make up a majority number on the board of UK trade and investment. The group is also a majority in the joint Foreign Office Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Britain that coordinates commercial activities and increase exports and inward investment. At a tactical level, private firms are charged with the role of contributing to the health of the national economy. In addition, they are the agents of constructive engagement. In this role, they aid in instilling liberal values into liberal societies and states. This has been witnessed in the U.K’s relationship with China and Libya. For instance private actors within the Business Council in China and Britain are agents of political change in China. The government in Britain helps firms in obtaining contracts in Chinese markets. These firms become vital actors in the foreign policy of constructive engagement. Most actors from the private firms are engaged in the implementation of policies designed elsewhere.

The political geographic dimension

For all matters, which concern interdependence and globalization, political geography matters a lot. A number of countries in the world is given greater priority than others, which affects the policy making process accordingly. This happens in terms of allocation of resources, both financial and human. The Foreign Office (FCO) in the U.K has suggested that, in the coming decade, the U.K’s most vital bilateral relationships excluding the European Union members will be China, Russia, the U.S, India and Japan. Issues concerning these states are, thus, likely to gain more attention than others. There distinct policy processes evident in the United Kingdom’s relations with other regions in the world[10]. The European Union offers a distinctive framework within which to talk about the foreign policy process, provided the way in which international relationships between its members have become progressively more domesticated.

The foreign office (FCO) has played a role in multilateral organizations such as Commonwealth and the United Nations (UN) in the U.K’s bilateral relationship. The Department for International Development (DfID) played a leading role in several elements of foreign policy especially in connection to the United Kingdom’s policies towards sub-Saharan Africa. The policies of UK towards Africa have mostly been multilateral to generate the capacity and international influence to deliver solid outcome. For example, in the late 1990s, the UK government in conjunction with nongovernmental organizations such as Global Witness was active in creating the United Nation’s case for sanctions against the regime of Charles Taylor in Liberia[11]. The European Union together with Commonwealth were requested to impose sanctions against the government of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, following the elections in 2002. In the same year, the United Kingdom persuaded the G8 to produce a plan (Africa Action Plan) to respond to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. Also, the United Kingdom has played chief roles in a number of contact groups. For instance, in 1998, it was one of the associates of the group formed to respond to the civil war between Sierra Leone and the Troika[12]. The U.K. helped in negotiating a stop to Sudan’s civil war.

The social and security dimension

Although the political geography shapes certain aspects of the foreign policy making process, it does not directly impose on how decisions are made especially relative to the deployment of the armed forces in Britain. For instance, sending troops on war requires the approval of the prime minister. This dimension of foreign policy in the U.K. is aimed at creation of policies that lead to the social welfare of the citizens of the United Kingdom. As Telo states, this requires the integration of the civil society in the U.K’s development policies[13]. Foreign social policies in the U.K. include policies on enhancing the international position of the U.K in terms of social concerns such as health, education, gender equality and human rights, as well as, corporate responsibility. The role of organizations such as commonwealth, the United Nations and the European Union, in promoting the issues stated above is seen in the United Kingdom and in other states that are members of the organizations.

In the modern world, the issue of insecurity is common[14]. There have been many attacks by various terrorists. The U.K government has established relations with other states that are aimed at fighting against terrorism. For example, the Transatlantic Counterterrorism cooperation with the United States was established to fight against the terrorist attacks in both states. The issues of forests and climate changes have not been left behind in the U.K’s social policy. Such issues as global warming involve a number of countries, and require the integration of representatives from all countries involved to come up with ways to resolve or prevent such catastrophes from happening.

Description of the policies

The U.K’s foreign policies, some of which have existed for a long period now, have played a significant role in the development of the country in the social, political, and the economic spheres. Both the Conservative and Liberal governments have similar ambitions for the country[15]. Although there have been disagreements from the opposition parties on areas of concern such as defense, nothing has changed much on the interests and objective of foreign policies. In most cases, foreign relations in the United Kingdom aim at creating cooperation among the various states involved. Foreign relations in Europe have not changed much as issues that were there in history still exist in the modern state. According to Cerutti and Sonia, although the forms of the policies may have changed due to the growth and development in technology, the goals of the foreign policies in the United Kingdom are still the same[16].

Methodology

The study on the United Kingdom’s foreign policies applies the qualitative form of research. This being the case, therefore, the study applies both descriptive and qualitative methods to analyze data. The core objective of the study is to establish that political issues have not had a significant change on the United Kingdom’s policies be they social, political or economical. This was done by reviewing the case studies of the United Kingdom’s relations with foreign countries. The results are analyzed using the descriptive methods, and simple tables that represent frequencies and percentages are used to analyze the research findings.

Case studies

United Kingdom’s connection with the United States

The relations between the United Kingdom and America are strong. Other relations strong relations that exist include the economic and military relationship between the United Kingdom and Iran[17]. The relations between the U.K and the U.S date back to almost two centuries ago. This happened before the United States declared independence from the Great Britain. Even though, various European nations explored and established settlements in North America, the British government soon controlled the major sea ports along the coast. The close connection that exists between the two states is portrayed as a special relationship. Therefore, the term “special relationship” is used by the Brits and the Americans to illustrate the close relation between the two states[18].

The two states fought each other during the American Revolution. They were also involved in war against each other in the War of 1812. The British was thought to have sympathies for the South during the Civil War. However, this did not lead a military conflict between the two countries. There was a change in World War I as the two states fought together. During the Second World War, the U.S joined the European portion in order to defend the United Kingdom. The relations between the two states were strong during the Cold War and the first Gulf War. In the Iraq War, the United Kingdom was the only top world power to assist the U.S[19]. The relations between the two nations have been marked by close relationships between top leaders from both states. Both countries have massive economic and trade relations that are evident in each country. Each country is among the other’s top trading partners. On the diplomatic front, both the United States and the United Kingdom are among the founders of NATO, the United Nations, G-8, and the World Trade Organization, and both are a host of other global bodies. The United Kingdom and the U.S are associates of the United Nations Security Council, which consists of only five member states. This implies that the economic, diplomatic, and military bureaucracies of each country are in steady discussion and coordination with their counterparts in the other states[20].

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

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Aldred, John. 2004. British imperial and foreign policy, 1846-1980. Oxford: Heinemann Educational.

Hill, Christopher. 2003. The changing politics of foreign policy. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

Brown, David. 2002. Palmerston and the politics of foreign policy 1846 – 55. Manchester [u.a.]: Manchester Univ. Press.

Daddow, Oliver J., and Jamie Gaskarth. 2011. British foreign policy: the New Labour years. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Held, David. 2007. Progressive foreign policy: new directions for the UK. Cambridge, UK [u.a.]: Polity Press.

Telò, Mario. 2009. The European Union and global governance. London: Routledge.

Cerutti, Furio, and Sonia Lucarelli. 2008. The search for a European identity: values, policies and legitimacy of the European Union. London: Routledge.

Wellman, Ariel Farrar. “United Kingdom-Iran Foreign Relations.” Foreign Relations 41, no. 5 (2010): 112-114.

Yakovenko, A. ” A Russian Journal of World Politics, Diplomacy & International Relations.” International Affairs 58, no. 4 (2012): 65-76.

Great Britain. 2010. Global security : UK-US relations Sixth report of session 2009-2010, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence, ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 18 March 2010. London: Stationery Office.

Colman, Jonathan. 2004. A ‘special relationship’? Harold Wilson, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Anglo-American relations ‘at the summit’, 1964-68. Manchester: Manchester University Press. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=589317.

McCausland, Jeffrey D., and Douglas T. Stuart. 2006. U.S.-UK relations at the start of the 21st century. [Carlisle Barracks, Pa.]: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.

 

 

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