What is the linkage between right-wing populist parties in Europe and support for Ukraine or Russia? Is there anything distinct about the views of Reform UK voters on defence and foreign policy issues? New public opinion polling research by Francesco Rigoli explores the psychology of populism and security. The war between Ukraine and Russia has … Continue reading Public Opinion on the War in Ukraine: Why right-wing populists are less supportive of Ukraine
AUKUS: Time for a Public Inquiry
Negotiated rapidly and in secret, the AUKUS pact to produce new nuclear-powered submarines is among the most expensive, consequential and opaque deals in British and Australian military history. Ian Lowe reports on the launch of a new civil society-led expert public inquiry into AUKUS that aims to provide the scrutiny so lacking from Australian politicians. … Continue reading AUKUS: Time for a Public Inquiry
UK Public Opinion and National Security
While the UK government has spent the last year heralding a ‘national conversation’ on defence and security, it seems to have little interest in hearing from the British public on how it views its own security. Thomas Martin shares some of the findings of his own research of public opinion, suggesting that there are significant … Continue reading UK Public Opinion and National Security
Paying for increased military spending: No easy choices for Starmer
With elections looming and pressure mounting on Keir Starmer to up the pace of British military spending increases, the Prime Minister will find that there are no easy ways to find the funds. Michael Brzoska and Ian Davis argue that neither the case for the spending increases nor the trade-offs necessary to achieve them have … Continue reading Paying for increased military spending: No easy choices for Starmer
Puppetry of the Heinous: Dependence and delusion in UK defence strategy
As US strategic bombers and special forces deploy at British air bases, the UK is yet again getting sucked into a major war in the Middle East. Richard Reeve examines how London’s delusions of status and influence condemn it to repeating past mistakes and exacerbating dangerous crises. Whether Keir Starmer admits it or not, the … Continue reading Puppetry of the Heinous: Dependence and delusion in UK defence strategy
Strategising for Peace in the New Age of Empire
This month’s US National Security Strategy underlines an ongoing shift away from liberal values into a new age of empire. In this new long read, Larry Attree discusses how – by rethinking alliances, defence posture, peace and conflict policies, and international cooperation – the UK can oppose these dangerous trends and promote a more peaceful … Continue reading Strategising for Peace in the New Age of Empire
Are Small Modular Reactors a Credible Means to Reduce Carbon Emissions?
Politicians in many countries, including the UK and Australia, have recently advocated the development of ‘small modular reactors’ (SMRs) as a means to speed up nuclear power production as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. But with the technology still some 15 years from maturity, Ian Lowe argues that SMRs are an expensive and risky … Continue reading Are Small Modular Reactors a Credible Means to Reduce Carbon Emissions?
‘Dangerous World’, Dangerous Narrative: Countering the National Security Strategy’s Assumptions
The UK's latest defence and security reviews set out a simple but effective narrative of an embattled UK in need of urgent military and societal mobilisation amid "radical uncertainty" and a "dangerous world". But what are the deeper assumptions that this dangerous narrative feeds off? And how can a counter-narrative harness other national values and … Continue reading ‘Dangerous World’, Dangerous Narrative: Countering the National Security Strategy’s Assumptions
How can we build on the ‘radical peace’ made in Northern Ireland?
Among the UK and Ireland’s greatest successes of the last century has been the achievement of peace in Northern Ireland. Almost three decades on, Larry Attree asked five key experts how peace and security was built in Northern Ireland, and what is now needed to sustain it in the face of unrest, social division and … Continue reading How can we build on the ‘radical peace’ made in Northern Ireland?
Is our Government Complicit in Genocide?
The Genocide Convention imposes obligations on states and individuals not just to punish the crime of genocide but to actively prevent it. Two years into the war in Gaza and over 20 months since the International Court of Justice found it plausible that Israel's actions there could violate the Convention, Carne Ross investigates the possibility … Continue reading Is our Government Complicit in Genocide?
Drawing Circles: Reflections on Hiroshima Day and European rearmament
Eighty years on from the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima, the UK and Europe are rearming at breakneck pace, including with more US nuclear weapons. Kirsten Bayes reflects on the waning of arms controls and the rise of the politics of distraction and demonization, suggesting three crucial responses. During my teenage years in 1980s rural Essex, … Continue reading Drawing Circles: Reflections on Hiroshima Day and European rearmament
25 Years of Women, Peace and Security in the UK: An opportunity to align feminist commitments at home and abroad
After a quarter-century of bipartisan British commitment to the Women Peace and Security agenda, the current Labour government suddenly seems loath to mention or fund it. Toni Haastrup and Jamie J. Hagen make the case for reprioritising the feminist principles of gender equality and inclusion in UK policy. By Toni Haastrup and Jamie J. Hagen … Continue reading 25 Years of Women, Peace and Security in the UK: An opportunity to align feminist commitments at home and abroad