This seminar organised by the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) and Aston University seeks to explore the UK’s role in the World post-Brexit. In the post-war era the traditional view of the UK’s international influence was rooted in its membership of NATO, the UN Security Council, the European Union and its close relationship with the United States, enabling it to claim that it was ‘punching above its weight’ on the world stage. However, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union it faces an increasingly uncertain world, where the tensions between openness and isolationism are growing stronger both internationally and domestically. The Government has committed to a vision of a ‘Global Britain’ post-Brexit and this debate will explore the Government narrative and alternative ideas for the future.

The debate will explore ideas proposed by some advocates of Brexit around both deepening historic ties with the ‘Anglosphere’ and strengthening the UK’s relationships with emerging markets, looking at the opportunities and challenges involved. The seminar will explore the likely impact of Brexit on the UK’s approach to trade, defence, security and international development, looking at how it will deal with transnational issues such as climate change, cybercrime and international terrorism. It will explore the national myths, narratives and realities that underpin the UK’s conception of its role the world and shape our understanding of what the future a ‘Global Britain’ might be.

The Aston Centre for Europe operates with the support of the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.