The Changed Character of British Foreign and Security Policy

Abstract

The significance of the clear Conservative victory in the British general election of May 1979 has already become apparent in relation to domestic politics in that country. In the area of financial and economic policy in particular, almost every decision taken by the Conservative government suggests that Prime Minister Thatcher's administration intends to apply the rigorous monetarist doctrines that she spelled out during the election campaign, and to make a sharp break from the policies of post-war governments in such matters as taxation. In the area of foreign policy, however, the implications of the change of government are not as evident. Foreign policy is to a large extent a subject on which there is a good deal of consensus between the parties and where the influence of official advisers ensures continuity. Yet there are aspects of British foreign and defense policy which are undergoing distinct changes now that the Conservative Party, rather than Labour, is in office. Many of the differences, it is true, are differences of personality and style rather than radical changes in the substance of policy; but in foreign policymaking and diplomacy, there are obviously occasions on which the nuances of a government's approach to a topic will be as important as its more tangible and explicit objectives. In this commentary, it is my intention to underline some of the distinctive features of Conservative attitudes towards international affairs as well as to draw attention to the way in which the internal politics of the Party have already influenced, and may continue to influence, the behavior of the leadership.