Description
A Labor government will "revamp" Britain's foreign policy apparatus to help rebuild prosperity by focusing on the priorities of working people in the UK, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy will say. Mr Lammy will say that under the Tories, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been left without the economic and industrial expertise it needs to meet the challenges of a modern global economy. He will say more needs to be done to counter heightened geopolitical instability abroad, which is leading directly to rising energy bills and higher supermarket checkout prices at home.
These threats often exist in the gray zone, blurring the lines between peace and war. We need a coordinated response to counter the threats of modern states.
Mr Lammy, who is launching a Fabian Society brochure outlining his foreign policy plan, will say: “Labor will make foreign policy decisions with workers at the forefront of our concerns.
Under a Labor government, diplomats will be tasked with pushing for exemptions from the US Inflation Cut Act subsidy scheme and a new approach to trade with Europe while staying out of the single market and customs union of The EU.
Labor will also set up a new joint FCDO-Home Office state threat cell to bolster the UK's security against hostile foreign powers such as Russia and Iran.
Working in conjunction with intelligence and security agencies, you will be responsible for assessing the threat from foreign states, disrupting hostile actors, and developing new frameworks to protect democracies from interference and disinformation.
Undermining international law is against Britain's interests. It undermines our moral authority and our political credibility.
“The FCDO lacks sufficient economic and industrial expertise to meet the challenges of the modern global economy, whether it be regulating emerging technologies or the race to secure supplies of rare earth elements,” Mr. Lammy will say.
“We need a FCDO equipped for the challenges of the future, refreshed and re-equipped for a new era of geo-economics, disinformation and technological change, fueled by sustainable growth in the UK and accelerating our transition to a green superpower.
“Modern conflicts are fought by manipulating energy prices, using critical technologies or resources as bargaining chips, launching cyber attacks and spreading false information, and detaining foreign nationals.
“These threats often exist in the gray zone, blurring the lines between peace and war. We need a coordinated response to counter the threats of modern states.
Lammy will reaffirm Labour's "unwavering" commitment to NATO and its support for Ukraine, while seeking a new UK-EU security pact.
He will vow to push for a "clean energy alliance" of developed and developing countries committed to 100% clean energy by 2030 while upholding support for the international rule of law.
“Undermining international law is against Britain's interests. It damages our moral authority and our political credibility,” he said.
"It makes us feel unreliable and untrustworthy, making it harder to reach future deals. In doing so, it serves the interests of authoritarians and dictators who seek to undermine the rule of law."
PA wire
Access
