Prime Minister Johnson Redefines Britain’s Place In The World

The United Kingdom will overhaul its approach to foreign policy through a new government-wide review set out by the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has committed to holding the largest review of the UK’s foreign, defence, security and development policy since the end of the Cold War. The Integrated Review will cover all aspects of the UK’s place in the world, from the role of our diplomatic service and approach to development to the capabilities of our Armed Forces and security agencies.

The review will be policy-led and will go beyond the parameters of a traditional review by considering the totality of global opportunities and challenges the UK faces and determining how the government can be structured, equipped and mobilized to meet them.

It will look at areas such as the procurement process used by the Armed Forces and other security services, ways to tackle Serious and Organized Crime more cohesively by building on the work of the Mackey Review and how we can better use technology and data to adjust to the changing nature of threats we face – from countering hostile state activity to strengthening our Armed Forces. All this will be undertaken with the aim of creating a more coherent and strategic approach to our overseas activity.

The Government will utilize expertise from both inside and outside the government for the review, ensuring the UK’s best foreign policy minds are feeding into its conclusions and offering a constructive challenge to traditional Whitehall assumptions and thinking.

The UK’s departure from the EU presents new opportunities to define and strengthen Britain’s place in the world at a time when the global landscape is changing dramatically. Worldwide demand for imports is growing as the UK establishes an independent trade policy for the first time in decades. Rapid technological changes are redefining the way we interact with other nations and tackle issues like climate change. And countries all over the world are challenging traditional international structures and alliances.

As the world changes we must move with it – harnessing new technologies and ways of thinking to ensure British foreign policy is rooted firmly in our national interests, now and in the decades ahead. Prime Minister Boris Johnson

The Integrated Review will report to the Prime Minister, who will be supported by a cross-Whitehall team in the Cabinet Office and a small team in Downing Street comprised of experts from inside and outside the civil service. Departments across Whitehall will input, including the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence, Department for International Development, the Home Office, the Treasury, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Decisions on the review will ultimately be made by the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister.

The Integrated Review will run in parallel to the Comprehensive Spending Review, ensuring departments are equipped with the resources they need to enact the review’s conclusions.

The main bulk of the review is expected to conclude in line with the Comprehensive Spending Review later this year, although the implementation of its recommendations will be a multi-year project.