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1

When did the UK join the European Community?

1973

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2

Under what set of powers do UK governments engage in armed conflict?

The Royal Prerogative.

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3

When was the United Nations formed?

1945

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4

What motivated the formation of international organisations in the 1940s?

• A desire to avoid further conflict.
• A desire to create a more stable world political and economic system.
• A desire to reconstruct countries damaged by the war.

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5

What is the purpose of the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth was originally formed partly as a means of continuing UK world political influence as the Empire entered into decline.

Over time it has developed into a cooperative forum by which a variety of diverse states can work together in an informal, voluntary way to pursue various shared goals.

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6

What are the main features of the so-called ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US?

The UK and the US have an historic and cultural link, though in the early years the relationship was not as close as it would later become. The special relationship involves some common political and diplomatic ground between the two, and military cooperation.

The US has been clearly the more powerful of the two parties at least since the mid twentieth century.

In some areas, the US does not necessarily value the UK significantly above other allies. One particular area of close cooperation is that of security and intelligence.

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7

Should Parliament be able to have the final say on whether the UK engages in armed combat?

As a matter of principle, it might seem appropriate that Parliament, as the chief representative of the people of the UK, should have a definite role in one of the most important decisions that any government makes.

However, it could be noted that governments require a high degree of flexibility in matters of this kind, and secrecy can be important. To involve Parliament directly in decisions in this area could compromise these requirements.

Parliament has developed informal means of securing a greater role in decisions about war and peace that enable the government to act with discretion. Whether there is a sufficient level of democratic control now provided to Parliament is open to question.

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8

Is the existing international order doomed?

The existing international order is to a large extent the product of the post-Second World War period. It was designed to address concerns that were prevalent at the time – including the avoidance of further conflict. They do not apply to the same extent today. A number of countries, including China, Russia and the US, are growing increasingly unwilling to abide by establish mechanisms of international governance. The UK, too, has moved in this direction with its withdrawal from the EU.

However, the basic principles of the international order – orderly trade, dialogue, assistance for countries in difficulties, and so on – will be needed under any system, and to lose them will benefit no one in the long run. The international order has experienced difficulties before and will do so again; but will not entirely disappear.

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9

How significant is Brexit to the external orientation of the UK?

Joining what became the EU followed a major reorientation in the external policy of the UK. It was part of a shift away from being a global, former imperial, power, towards being a regional power. It involved sharing sovereignty with other states, and introducing a form of law – EU law – into the UK system, taking priority over regular domestic law. As an EU member, the UK participated in a Single Market and a Customs Union along with 27 other EU member states. Brexit involved moving away from this approach and withdrawing from all these arrangements, and as such was important to the external orientation of the UK.

But leaving the EU did not involve exiting the actual continent of Europe. The UK was in the same region as it had been before Brexit. It would still need to engage closely with the EU and Europe in general. The exact path to follow in this regard was not entirely settled, and seems likely to continue to be a subject of debate and controversy. While the UK was no longer interacting directly via the EU, this institution would continue to be important to it. Furthermore, as a member or otherwise, the UK has always had relationships with other parties beyond the EU and beyond Europe, that would continue to present a mixture of opportunities and limitations.