Britain and the World
In a globalised world Britain’s island status is increasingly irrelevant. In truth for many decades the country’s politics have been significantly influenced by events ‘abroad’ and the country’s relationships with other powers.
British Foreign and Defence Policy
Britain has always ‘punched above its weight’ in post-war international affairs, most recently standing side-by-side with the United States in its prosecution of the War on Terror. John Young has particular expertise in British foreign policy in the latter half of the twentieth century, while Wynn Rees is interested in the more contemporary concerns of policymakers as they confront a post-Cold War international environment where new threats, pressures and uncertainties proliferate.
Anglo-American Relations
Ever since the Second World War, the Anglo-American 'Special Relationship' has been the principal foreign policy priority of successive British governments, regardless of party or ideology. There are many dimensions of this relationship - diplomatic; inter-personal; intelligence; military; and cultural. Alex Danchev has taken a leading role in exploring many of them while Steven Fielding is looking at how it has been dramatised on the screen. Yet the nature of this elusive phenomenon remains as hard to pin down as ever - to say nothing of its costs and benefits.