Ifg Events Podcast

The UK’s exit from the European Union has prompted many calls for the UK government to change the way it organises foreign policy, development aid, trade and security. Some argue that reform would help by giving a “single” foreign policy, would allocate money more in line with the UK’s interests – and would trim the number of ministers sitting at the cabinet table. Others retort that the UK has gone to great lengths to separate the goals of its foreign, aid and trade policies and mergers of departments would deliberately conflate those goals again. Our panel discussed whether the current arrangement supports foreign policy objectives, whether changes should be made and whether the UK can learn anything from other countries. Our panel included: Crispin Blunt MP, former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the US and the Americas Programme, Chatham House Sophia Gaston, director of the British Foreign Policy Group The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, director of