We are likely to get a deal with something for everyone – a ‘softish’ Brexit with May-style immigration controls. But the longer-term offers great opportunities.
During the Cold War being ‘strong on defence’ was a potent vote winner, and the money flowed accordingly.
Our plan seems to have been little more than to cobble together just enough kit to make us a Great Power on the cheap. That cannot continue.
It is hard to appoint more women to Cabinet when there are few senior women to promote. We count only four at Minister of State level.
Overseas development spending will never fulfil its soft-power potential if DfID is allowed to pursue what amounts to its own foreign policy.
Patel got a lot done – in particular, improving international rules about emergency spending. Now her successor must work on an aid policy for Global Britain.
If the Government is serious about having this country be a ‘moral leader’, it must be more transparent about dealings which may compromise our values.
From speaking to civil servants, it seems that – at least until recently – the Cabinet had not properly considered either a preferred end state or indeed transition policy.
As China imprisons three young democracy campaigners, Britain has a moral and legal responsibility to speak out.
As Patten says, the Joint Declaration gives us a specific responsibility to ensure that China’s promises are upheld – which we are not meeting.
Our relationships with other countries are built and maintained by institutions on a generational basis, rather than presidential whim.
A new, diplomatically-phrased but still damning enquiry by the Foreign Affairs Committee throws light on the Government’s failures.