Unit 6D: International Politics and the UK
Simon Lightfoot
Lecturer in European Studies at Liverpool John Moores University writes for BBC Parliament |
 Foreign policy can provoke furious domestic reaction |
According to the unwritten British constitution, the prime minister, acting via Royal Prerogative, has the power to declare war without consulting Parliament or even the cabinet.
Often, due to the need for quick decision making and the sensitivity of the topic, consultation may be restricted to a very few senior ministers, whilst the full cabinet is just informed what action is planned or indeed has taken place.
In practice, political pressure usually means that Parliament is allowed a vote. This was true during the Gulf War in 1991, the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and action in Kosovo in 1998, but not before UK military action in Afghanistan.
 | ALSO IN THIS SECTION: Unit 6D - International Politics and the UK |
The inclusion of opposition leaders in decisions is also common, as there is an unwritten rule not to publicly criticise policy if "our boys and girls" are on active duty.
War in Iraq
In 2002, there was an increasing debate as to whether military action should be taken against Iraq. The government presented a dossier it claimed showed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
However, it was only mounting pressure from some of its own backbenchers, the media and pressure groups, like Stop the War, that appeared to force the government into having a debate, but no formal vote, on the issue.
Three main departments are involved in the creation of UK foreign policy. They are:-
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Ministry of Defence
The Department for International Development. The last department was created in 1997 by the new Labour Government as part of its attempt to insert morality into the UK's foreign policy.
There was the attempt to create an "ethical" foreign policy which was questioned by the decision early on in Labour's first term of office to grant export licences for Hawk jets to Indonesia.
These jets, it was claimed, would be used to stifle internal dissent within East Timor.
In this case it was clear that ethics could damage valuable contracts worth millions to UK firms and crucially UK jobs.
Pressure from companies like British Aerospace can be significant in shaping foreign policy decisions.
Key allies
The UK's international obligations and strategic national interests shape its foreign policy decisions.
The UK sees itself as having a special relationship with the United States of America.
Examples of this relationship became very clear when the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the US in the post-September 11 attacks on Afghanistan and the subsequent discussions of a war on Iraq.
The UK also has links with former colonies via the Commonwealth. The UK tried to use this organisation to put pressure on the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.
In May 2000, British Marines helped support the elected government of Sierra Leone against an attack from opposition forces, overcoming a long standing reluctance to become involved in armed conflict in Africa.
Finally, the UK has a commitment to EU action, as shown in 1999 when accusations of ethnic cleansing of Kosovan Albanians were made against Serbia.
Blair called for a "just war" involving air strikes and ground troops.
Clearly the UK still plays a role in international politics and policy decisions taken rely upon an evaluation of the UK's national security and national interest.
� Dr Simon Lightfoot 2004
Liverpool John Moores University
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