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EXPERT COMMENT

A greater emphasis from Britain on its global role over its European role could be a risk, but the Biden administration can help steer a balance.

We do not know whether the sighs of relief at Donald Trump’s defeat in November were as audible and profound in 10 Downing Street as they were in chancelleries across Europe, but they should have been.

Trump’s brand of nationalist politics, his disdain for allies, and his soft spot for dictators were a massive challenge to all medium-sized democracies which look to America to underpin their defence, and for leadership in a world where the rules are coming under increasing challenge. 

Joe Biden’s administration offers a new beginning for America’s friends and allies, perhaps especially for Britain. The platform for the UK’s revitalization in the era of Thatcher and Blair was becoming a leading member of the European Union, a European power in good standing with Washington with a global outlook and interests. In his recent book Britain Alone, Philip Stephens notes that by ‘pulling up the European anchor, Britain left itself without a role’. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.