British foreign policy after Brexit: losing Europe and finding a role

Abstract

British foreign policy stands at a turning point following the 2016 'Brexit' referendum. Drawing on role theory, we trace the UK's efforts to establish new foreign policy roles as it interacts with concerned international actors. We find that the pro-Brexit desire to 'take back control' has not yet translated into a cogent foreign policy direction. In its efforts to avoid adopting the role of isolate, the UK has projected a disoriented foreign policy containing elements of partially incompatible roles such as great power, global trading state, leader of the Commonwealth, regional partner to the EU, and faithful ally to the US. The international community has, through processes of socialization and altercasting, largely rejected these efforts. These role conflicts between the UK and international actors, as well as conflicts among its different role aspirations, has pressed UK policies towards its unwanted isolationist role, potentially shaping its long-term foreign policy orientation post-Brexit.

Domestic contestation over foreign policy, role-based and otherwise: Three cautionary cases

“…Previous waves of interest in foreign policy roles waned after a period. By contrast, the new upsurge of interest in role theory shows no sign of abating (Opperman et al, 2019). Particularly influential in the United Kingdom and Europe (Aggestam, 2006; Beneš and Harnisch, 2014; Gaskarth, 2014; McCourt and Glencross, 2019; Strong, 2019), the existence a critical mass of senior and junior role theory scholars in the sub-field suggests foreign policy role theory is here to stay.…”

Examining Brexit: Level of Analysis and Explanations

“…The main risk could be a "disoriented foreign policy". The country could aspire to play different but also contradictory roles, for example, by trying to be simultaneously a world power, a regional ally of the EU, the leader of the Commonwealth, an autonomous commercial power, and a faithful ally of the United States (Opperman, Beasley, & Kaarbo, 2020).…”

«Глобальная Британия» В Преддверии Брекзита

“…Британская общественность, безусловно, выступает за развитие международных торговых связей, считая их важным фактором экономического роста. С другой стороны, население крайне разделено в оценках приоритетного торгового партнёра, что в целом определено отношением к членству в Европейском союзе 71 . Раскол виден и по партийному спектру: если электорат партии «зелёных», либеральных демократов и лейбористов настроен более пессимистично в отношении новых торговых сделок постбрекзит, то сторонники Консервативной партии, наоборот, возлагают на них большие надежды.…”

“…URL: https://www.gov.uk /government/speeches/malaysia-and-britain-partners-in-a-post-brexit-world (дата обращения 28.04.2020). 71 мической деятельности, становится предметом политических дискуссий, интуитивного выбора электората, а в конечном итоге символом нового исторического этапа и обновлённых внешнеполитических приоритетов страны.…”