After the Brexit bonfire: identifying the embers of future foreign, security and defence cooperation with the EU

Abstract

Chapter 11 evaluates the future relationship in security and foreign cooperation between the EU and the UK. Steven Blockmans argues that the UK has essentially abandoned the aims of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy to pursue an undefined foreign and security policy as part of its 'Global Britain' ambition. Blockmans describes the 'slow-motion train crash' that led the UK government to break its own promise to forge a strong bilateral security partnership with the European Union after Brexit and questions whether the UK is, going forward, a reliable strategic partner for the EU. Furthermore, Blockmans highlights how, as in the area of trade policy, the UK has not been able to clearly identify its strategic objectives - except for the idea of 'Global Britain' where the UK will seek to bring geo-politics and geo-economic together to secure its foreign policy aims. However, Blockmans questions whether, unlike the EU-27, the UK has the capacity to do this effectively.