One year of Labour: Is the government right on Europe, the US, and China?

One year of Labour: Is the government right on Europe, the US, and China?
2
July 2025 — 12:00PM TO 1:00PM
Anonymous (not verified)
13 June 2025

Chatham House and Online

Experts assess how the government is responding to a challenging foreign policy environment.

Experts assess how the government is responding to a challenging foreign policy environment.

Foreign affairs have played a critical role in the Labour government’s first year in power. The Trump administration’s ‘America First’ agenda has forced the government to navigate unpredictable tariffs, raised questions about the US’s role in NATO, and pushed the UK and European allies to spend more on defence. While an attempted ‘reset’ with the EU this year has strengthened some ties, the future security and trading relationship with the bloc is still to be shaped. And as China increasingly asserts its economic influence and dominates the supply chains and technologies needed for the green transition, the UK finds itself navigating between all three powers while managing numerous problems at home.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to avoid making a public choice between the US and Europe, and to cautiously re-engage with China, but this government will face difficult trade-offs between all these relationships through the rest of this parliament. And many other international challenges remain, from wars in Gaza and Sudan to climate change and AI’s disruptive effects. As global institutions struggle to coordinate a response, and with US funding and leadership increasingly absent, can the UK play a constructive role?

Experts on this panel will discuss key questions including:

  • Are Labour getting it right on China, the US, and Europe?
  • What should we make of Labour’s response to the shifting economic order? Is its approach to trade policy, trade defence, and ‘securonomics’ working?
  • Was the decision to take a step back from development, and forward on defence, the right one? What more needs to be done, on both?
  • Does Labour have a vision for foreign policy? Has Labour’s foreign policy reflected ‘progressive realism’? How?

By registering for this event, attendees agree to our Code of Conduct, ensuring a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming space for diverse perspectives and debate.

Source: Chathamhouse Events