Global Strategy Lab: the UK’s geopolitical choices and trade-offs

– , London time (BST, UTC+1)

Guests

John Bew, Professor, History and Foreign Policy, King’s College London

Mark Leonard, Director, European Council on Foreign Relations

Chaired by

Laura Chappell, Associate Director, International Policy, Institute for Public Policy Research

Reflecting on the findings from our previous events and drawing on Mark Leonard’s latest IPPR paper, Britain’s strategy for a decade of danger: Our nation, our continent, our world, the discussion will examine competing visions for Britain’s role in the world—from renewed reliance on the US, to a more globally diversified approach, to a strategic pivot toward Europe. At its core, the event will ask how the UK can navigate rising global risks while rebuilding resilience at home and unpack the choices and trade-offs that will shape Britain’s future. In this context, the workshop will discuss within a small, high-level group, the following questions:

  • What should Britain’s overarching grand strategy be in an era of heightened global instability, and how should it balance security, economic resilience, and international influence, and what trade-offs are required?
  • To what extent should the UK deepen alignment with traditional allies like the US versus pursuing a more independent or Europe-focused strategic path?
  • How can domestic policy—on growth, energy, migration, and industrial strategy—be better integrated with foreign policy to strengthen the UK’s position in a more dangerous world?