“It’s worth looking China full in the face and realising what we’re dealing with. We aren’t talking just about China - we’re talking about the Chinese Communist Party. The role of China and the CCP are not the same thing.”
@TomTugendhat
.
@MayaGoodfellow
argues that the framing of the ‘Empire question’ is wrong. “We should move the conversation to how we remember Empire,” rather than whether we should be proud or ashamed of it.
We're delighted to be hosting
@lisanandy
for a discussion exploring the Labour Party's plans to reset its foreign policy - and how they can win over a divided electorate.
Follow below:
“We take space for granted - but it’s like any other environment on earth. We need to look at how the space industry can move to a more sustainable future.” -
@harriet_brettle
"We need a coherent, strategic, and empowered foreign policy"
@TomTugendhat
in
@timesredbox
following our report published yesterday calls for more funding for the
@foreignoffice
in parallel with keeping our 0.7% aid and 2% defence commitments.
Last night, we held a fascinating conversation between
@MacaesBruno
and
@holland_tom
, discussing Bruno's new book 'History Has Begun: the Dawn of a New America,' the evolution of the USA, and the future of the West.
If you missed us, catch up here:
Next Monday (6th) we'll be joined by Adam Tooze, Bruno Maçães and Gideon Rachman, to discuss 'Stepping into the Unknown: Geopolitics and the Global Economy after the Covid Crisis'. Register here.
Today we present our UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and Global Affairs report for 2021. It's the most comprehensive report undertaken in modern times of UK public opinion on foreign policy. Read the full report here:
Yesterday BFPG Researcher
@EvieAspinall_
spoke to
@BBCNews
about youth priorities for the
@g7
as part of her role as Head UK Delegate to the Youth 7. You can catch up here:
“There is a fundamental issue with the EU (negotiations) that we need to address. Both sides have seen the talks as an end in itself, not the next step in the relationship - which has made it hard for both parties to move forwards.”
@TomTugendhat
Catch up on our event from earlier this week, 'Stepping into the Unknown: Geopolitics and the Global Economy after the Covid Crisis' with
@adam_tooze
and
@MacaesBruno
.
LATEST REPORT: Our
@florholmes
examines changing public attitudes to military intervention - and the political and societal reasons behind declining support.
Tonight our Director
@sophgaston
is joined by
@MacaesBruno
and
@adam_tooze
to do discuss 'Stepping into the Unknown: Geopolitics and the Global Economy after the Covid Crisis'. We'll be live-tweeting in this thread.
“The world is looking at cooperation in a different way. The blanket openness that the UN aspires to is clearly facing challenges... but the idea of international co-operation between nation states... has been reinforced.”
@TomTugendhat
to our
@SophGaston
.
@sophgaston
‘I would like to see our conversation about Britain’s place in the world to be as dynamic and contested as conversations about Britain’s domestic policy’
@BigTentIdeas
We are pleased to announce that Sir Simon Fraser GCMG (
@SimonFraser00
) , Managing Partner of
@FlintGlobal
will take up the role of the first Honorary President of the British Foreign Policy Group (
#BFPG
), with immediate effect.
Britain stands at a key juncture in determining our future place in the world. This election isn’t just about which way we will pivot, but what our role on the global stage should be. Our
@matt_gillow
in
@CityAM
.
@foreignoffice
and
@DFID_UK
Minister,
@hbaldwin
highlights some the work the UK government is doing to establish "long term partnerships" with African nations including building business relations, family planning support and championing girls education.
Tomorrow, we're excited to be hosting
@isabelhilton
,
@bill_hayton
and
@ox_chinacentre
's Rana Mitter, for an event exploring 'How China's History Shapes it's Modern Ambitions.' It isn't too late to sign up:
53% of Britons believe the UK should provide assistance to Ukraine for as long as it takes, while 33% of Britons believe the UK should encourage Ukraine to reach a peace deal. There is little desire for the UK to withdraw support from Ukraine (6%).
‘A little recognised yet vital front line service’.
@SebastianEPayne
covers the launch of our latest report on the impact on 🇬🇧 safety from cuts to the FCO
@FT
"In 2017 Britain had 231 diplomats (excluding local hires) in 31 of sub-Saharan Africa’s 48 countries. In 16 of those British missions, only one or two diplomats were in situ." British Foreign Policy Group research cited in
@TheEconomist
The leaking of Foreign Office internal communications and President Trump’s response has undermined UK diplomacy. Important to remember that
#diplomacymatters
What are the conversations happening in the UK around our global influence? Read about the conclusions from
@WiltonPark
's "Britain's Place in the World" Event.
@Global_JOates
📝
The Government's Integrated Review of the UK's Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy has been released today. Take a look at our quick summary of the most important takeaways.
We begin our event with a keynote speech from Sir Steve Smith, VC at
@UniofExeter
who is discussing the importance of universities having an international outlook and influence
#GlobalDevon
Lots of talk today about climate action. Our polling shows that 70% of Britons support the UK taking a leading role in tackling climate change, including over 60% in every major demographic group.
Has Britain got a clear enough motif to impose sanctions on Russia?
An interesting article, raising questions about the complexity of UK-Russia relations by
@MarkGaleotti
via
@ForeignPolicy
NEW: As world leaders gather in Vilnius for the NATO Summit, new research from BFPG finds overwhelming public support for the UK's membership of NATO, with 78% of Britons believing the UK should remain a member of NATO.
"Britain has now got to develop a humility and come back as an equal partner"
@AndrewMMacLeod
on re-igniting bonds with commonwealth countries for the success of the 🇬🇧 as a global trading nation post
#Brexit
@BigTentIdeas
#GLOBALBRITAIN
tent
We can't wait to host
@SarahBSmithVA
,
@KateAndrs
,
@BrianKlaas
,
@epkaufm
and Matthew McGrath tonight - discussing the US 2020 election, and what it might mean for US-UK relations. If you couldn't get a ticket, we'll be livestreaming on Twitter from 6:30pm!
With a pre-Christmas election on the cards,
@sophgaston
weighed the differences between Labour and Conservative voters when it comes to foreign policy.
Analysis of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn's views is rife, but where do their grassroots stand?
Tomorrow
@theodoraclarke
will lead a fantastic panel on global British trade
@BigTentIdeas
post-Brexit: should Latin America be a
#trade
focus for the UK?
@Ed1Elliott
makes the case for revitalising UK-Latin America engagement in this report
What are Yorkshire's distinct
#ForeignPolicy
concerns?
Come join the discussion at our event co-hosted with
@UniversityLeeds
@POLISatLeeds
in Leeds on the 23rd Feb.
Get in touch if you would like to register! More info:
Today we're joined by
@TomTugendhat
and Professor Rana Mitter to discuss what Russia's invasion of Ukraine means for UK-China relations and the threat to Taiwan
'We need to be far more outward looking and the starting point is to have a discussion about how we define ourselves and who we think we are, other wise we cannot project ourselves to the rest of the world'
@GiselaStuart
on
#Globalprosperity
#GlobalBritain
"the Foreign Office is now so lean that the additional funding required to restore and enhance the UK’s diplomatic front line is not necessarily much"
Check out
@tom1cargill
latest article for BFPG on why we need to fund our
#Diplomacy
“It’s really important how we define extreme faiths and ideas, when you don’t allow for a possibility of difference that’s when we try and allow dialogue and that’s when it’s on faith communities to play a role” Mike Hardy on
#dialouge
#faith
&
#softpower
#InterfaithWeek2018
"
#Softpower
is highly dependent for it’s impact on its credibility and perceived distance from official government policy",
@tom1cargill
discusses what the government's call for a soft power strategy in the recently published
#NSCR
could mean in practice:
Last week we hosted our
#LeicesterGlobalLinks
event to discuss the economic and soft power capabilities of Leicester and the East Midlands. Read a summary of it by the FCO’s
@PaulBrummell
here:
Increased external pressures on UK diplomacy, including attacks on Sir Kim Darroch, reinforce need to make the case that
#diplomacymatters
.
Read our report on the need for a sustainably funded Foreign Office, a front line of UK international influence
Delighted to welcome Sir Simon Fraser and Rt Hon Gisela Stuart to the latest in our Webinar series- ‘the Future of UK Foreign Policy in the post-Pandemic world’ - if you can’t make it, we’ll be tweeting along below:
"A 3% commitment would enable us to position the UK internationally
as a more united and effective international actor"
-
@tom1cargill
in new report calling for a 3% GDP target for our international spending.
We’re live in conversation with
@TomTugendhat
, discussing the UK’s geopolitical opportunities and his work at the Foreign Affairs Select Committee - follow along here:
We are delighted to publish the UK Soft Power Group’s latest report, ‘The Future of Soft Power: Building a Strategic Framework’, on behalf of the UK Soft Power Group, of which
@TheBFPG
and the
@BritishCouncil
are co-convenors. (1/5)
Read the report here:
Our 2021 Annual Public Opinion Survey on Foreign Policy and Global Affairs is the most comprehensive survey of its kind, highlighting the nuances in public opinion on foreign policy.
Great piece from
@TomTugendhat
- with confidence, investment and leadership, Britain can find a powerful partner in Macron’s France for our own and global benefit.
This will be an important intervention from
@TomTugendhat
at
@RUSI_org
- echoing key themes of
@TheBFPG
report he helped launch at Parliament last week. Time to pull together to secure UK interests amidst growing global volatility.
This morning we hosted 25 Heads of Mission and their Deputies for a roundtable briefing on UK public opinion on foreign policy. Many thanks to all who attended and participated in such an insightful session.
Our researcher
@EvieAspinall_
, who is also the Head UK Delegate to the Youth 7, discusses the Youth 7 Summit and what it tells us in the lead up to the G7 summit next month.
Our new report out today - After the Golden Age: Resetting UK-China Relations - aims to build a more constructive, informed and realistic approach to UK-China engagement. Read it here:
“If Britain is going to go on being an example in the world... for democracy and the rule of law, it has to get its own house in order first.”
@LordRickettsP
@WFD_Democracy
Join
@lizseward
, Dr Alice Bunn,
@harriet_brettle
, Lucy Edge,
@KierannShah
and Dr Joanna Hart at the BFPG, as we look 'Beyond Global Britain' and discuss UK Foreign Policy in Space:
NEW: Our latest blog discusses the 10 key takeaways from the new International Development White Paper that was released this morning, including what the paper means for international development and the UK's wider foreign policy.
NEW: Our 2022 Annual Survey of UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy sets out British attitudes and awareness on foreign policy decisions in the UK and among key allies.
The fieldwork was conducted by our partners
@OpiniumResearch
Our new
@TheBFPG
report out this week argues long term
@foreignoffice
resource constraints are now limiting our global reach & influence at critical time for 🇬🇧 - trailed in
@guardian
today
Popular consensus says that the US rose over two centuries to Cold War victory and world domination, and is now in slow decline. But what if this isn't the end? Join us as
@MacaesBruno
discusses his new book, 'History Has Begun: The Dawn of a New America.'
"We need to get around the issue of welcoming people from places such as India 🇮🇳 and once we get that right then we can increase our chances of being a global trading nation"
@DavidHenigUK
on the 🇬🇧as a global trading nation 🌍
@BigTentIdeas
"As the UK repositions itself in the world, it is our
#SoftPower
and cultural relations that will sustain difficult relations, grow new ones and sow the ground for our future security, prosperity and influence",
@ciarandevane
's letter to
@thetimes
Today we’re in the Houses of Parliament for a meeting of our
#softpower
group with
@BritishCouncil
- fantastic to have representatives from uk sport, culture, art, science and more!