Labour must now be the pro-European party in British politics

The focus might be on Britain’s relationship with Europe but the Government’s retreat from engagement with the EU is just the latest example of a government strategy of decreasing engagement from multilateral institutions and a focus instead on a more bilateral approach to foreign policy. This is one of the central findings of our report published today with the New Labour think tank, Progress. In the spring and summer of this year we interviewed over thirty former and shadow Cabinet Ministers, senior think tank representatives, diplomats, and journalists on their views towards the future of Labour Party foreign policy in opposition – countering the slide towards isolationism in the UK was seen as a central priority in the coming years.

Britain is still a dynamic and influential actor in international affairs but what the coalition government has got fundamentally wrong is that this unique position is because of our strong role in the EU and other multilateral bodies not in spite of it. There are clearly some short-term gains to be made from opting out of the EU negotiations on consolidation of the Eurozone as the Prime Minister did so spectacularly on Friday. The Treasury is left to set fiscal as well as monetary policy in order to keep the UK in the black and the City of London is arguably spared any possible external regulation from Brussels but this is a small consolation in what is otherwise a significant step backwards in Britain’s on-going integration within the EU something virtually every interviewee for our report thought was paramount in securing the UK’s future.

The key to the UK’s foreign policy for the last 30 years has been managing our relative decline on the world stage while retaining influence and defending our national interests. From 1997 Labour achieved this by utilising its position as a member of the majority key multilateral institutions ranging from the UN, to the G8 to the EU. Its pivotal role in the EU was a key reason why the US bought into the special-relationship, seeing the UK as a bridge to the European Union. Emerging powers including China and India also saw the bridging role the UK played, seeing the UK as an ally in negotiating trade agreements with the wider European market. This is all at risk now as Britain finds itself on the periphery of the EU decision making process.

Labour now has both an opportunity and a responsibility to offer the UK electorate an alternative view of Britain’s role in the world where – through playing a central role in the EU, the UN, and the G20 – Britain can retain influence while also using these platforms to enhance our economy and geopolitical position.

Britain is not out of the EU and there is still a chance for the UK to re-engage with Europe but it is the Labour party’s job to not only to scrutinise the Government’s new position, it is also the party’s job to make the case to a seemingly sceptical public on why being in Europe matters. This should be done by explaining to people that the days of Europe being an ideological debate are gone, it is now a simple matter of national interest. As David Miliband is quoted as saying in the Progress Report “we are pro-European because we are pro-British.”

Sam Hardy is a Director of the New Diplomacy Platform.

The Future of Labour’s Foreign Policy is co-authored by Sam Hardy and James Denselow and is published by Progress, the New Labour think tank: www.progressives.org.uk