Lord Triesman: The UK's post-Brexit economic prospects demand radical thinking in foreign policy
3 min read
Former Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman writes in advance of his parliamentary question on: 'Sharing of analysis and co-ordination between UK and its allies to ensure enhanced security'.
Attending the UN General Assembly each September is a challenge for UK ministers. Understandably you are keen to focus attention on the PM or Foreign Secretary. But it is sometimes more critical to listen to leaders of our allies or opponents to gauge the durability of alliances or strength of threats to grasp what will count as normal business in future.
I have never known the test to be more vital than when Donald Trump speaks. Or tweets. Our bonds with the USA, our affection for shared values, the bedrock of mutual security were not quickly created or are to be lightly set aside. Yet they are under serious stress.
Trump's overwhelming narcissism and inexperience across many fundamentals show he is nowhere near us or NATO. His pronouncements on the Iran nuclear agreement, abandonment of the Paris climate goals, disdain for commitment to human rights and the international rule of law place him At a considerable distance from us. A simple test like whether torture can be legitimised tell us how unbridgeable the gap is.
Trump's characteristics may be lamentable but for the UK and NATO allies they pose an entirely new test. Of course the USA had past experiences of nativism and isolationism but in modern times the norm has been designing mutual security and sharing intelligence. But does the norm apply today? How do you set about the routine work of alliances when the most powerful ally announces in a couple of UNGA sentences and a 143 character tweet that he actively considers the nuclear obliteration of at least one or possibly two other nations?
How do you set about analysing problems together or crafting a careful, shared response? Especially when the President castigated his own Secretary of State for contemplating being careful.
For us, it's a big issue. The toxic combination of an unreliable super-power in NATO, increasingly dangerous outbursts from its Commander in Chief, growing dysfunction in his Senate and Congress, and our obsequious reliance on this melange for our post-Brexit economic prospects, demand radical thinking in foreign policy.
So where is the Government's thinking on these strategic issues? I would never advocate losing a deep historic relationship with the USA but it plainly won't work on the same basis as the last 70 years. Governments are reluctant to share strategic analysis but there is no evidence of any deep thinking. If we don't address the fault line we're in deep trouble. Sad.
Lord Triesman is a Labour peer and a former FCO Minister
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