No mates...
I always thought that the hubris, arrogance and stupidity of the Brexiteers would lead to another Suez moment. It just had that feel of over reaching ambition and lack of self awareness of the UK’s real place in the world. But not this quickly, we can only hope this is the first and last agonising humiliation, but somehow I doubt it.
There is a famous story that Tony Blair told our ambassador in Washington that his job was to get as far as possible up the Presidents arse as possible and stay there. But this is not a strategy.
Both Trump and now Biden didn’t even notice the UK and they cared about it even less.
The one thing the UK did have, besides a slavish willingness to send its small armed forces to serve alongside the American’s, was that it was a bridge to Europe and the EU. Perhaps even America’s spy in the camp but certainly its interlocutor.
Now not only is that gone but the current government has told the EU it hates it and all its works and hopes it collapses ASAP. I believe 21 of the EU’s members are in NATO, just think how that stance must really encourage cooperation and alliance building. It will still happen but not in the same way and not with the UK having anything like the same influence.
Trying to create a situation where the UK and Europe are less dependent on the US is a near impossible task, made totally impossible by Brexit. Global Britain has less influence in its own backyard than it did at the start of the year, far, far less and virtually none elsewhere. The “tilt” towards Asia and the Pacific is a pathetic affectation by a declining power, that no one in the area will even notice.
A long line of defence cuts, slashing international aid, belittling our neighbours, becoming an international laughing stock and pathetic posturing by puerile politicians all adds to the mix.
Who are the UK’s friends, permanent or temporary? Even more worrying what are its interests? At the moment, it does not have a foreign policy and most worrying of all its government is too stupid to realise.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.