Global Britain and the Post-Second World War Challenges of British foreign policy

Abstract

This article aims to comprehend the emergence of the "Global Britain" concept during the premierships of Theresa May and Boris Johnson to understand the perceptions of Britain's elite and policymakers in the post-Second World War era. The article's primary questions are: What led to the birth of the Global Britain concept and strategy? Did the Global Strategy attempt to address British foreign policy challenges after Second World War? And, how does London define its role in the world under the "Global Britain" strategy? To understand the perceptions of Britain's elite and policymakers, this article employs Neo-Classical Realism theory. The study reveals that the Global Britain concept was not just a reaction to the UK's exit from the European Union in 2016 but also an attempt to address one of the most significant questions in UK foreign policy post-Second World War, i.e., Britain's role in the world, which many post-war UK governments attempted but failed to do so.