Why we need a Fair Deal for Foreign Affairs & Defence
Today’s world is fragile, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, growing concerns over China and democracies under siege.
Our liberal voice is needed on the world stage like never before. We must champion democracy, liberty, human rights and the rule of law.
But the Conservatives are undermining Britain’s reputation - threatening to break international law with the Rwanda Bill, cutting the aid budget, and damaging relations with allies.
We can’t pull up the drawbridge - we must be outward-looking, supporting those in need and being a strong and reliable partner on the world stage.
We will:
✅ Restore the UK’s reputation as an international development superpower, by reinstating 0.7% of national income for aid and re-establishing a Department for International Development.
✅ Put human rights at the heart of trade, by banning imports from areas with abuses such as Xinjiang and controlling arms exports to countries with poor human rights records.
✅ Stop oligarchs from corrupt regimes channelling their money through the UK, including by increasing funding for the National Crime Agency.
✅ Fix our broken relationship with Europe, by following our four-stage roadmap to deepen trade and rebuild our ties.
Fixing the broken relationship with Europe
The Conservatives’ deal with Europe has alienated our closest neighbours and damaged the economy; especially farmers, fishers, and small businesses.
We have a four-stage roadmap to rebuild this relationship:
✅ Take initial unilateral steps to mitigate the damage of the deal, by building closer ties in sectors like education.
✅ Pursue confidence-building measures, such as joining the Erasmus Plus student exchange programme.
✅ Deepen our trading relationship through new arrangements, like securing a veterinary agreement.
✅ Once the ties of trade and friendship are renewed, seek to put our relationship on a more formal and stable footing, by seeking to join the Single Market.
A Fair Deal for the Armed Forces & Defence
Today’s global instability shows we need a robust defence policy. The Conservatives have shown complacency, cutting troop numbers by 10,000 and leaving the Armed Forces ill-equipped. Meanwhile, service personnel and veterans lack suitable housing and mental health support.
We will strengthen the Armed Forces and better support its workforce by:
✅ Cancelling the Conservatives’ cut to the Army.
✅ Maintaining the UK’s support for NATO, and meeting our NATO commitments on defence every year.
✅ Working more closely with our NATO and EU partners in developing defence technologies.
✅ Introducing a fair deal for service personnel and veterans - we will place a legal duty on the Defence Secretary to give due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant.
✅ Maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent with continuous at-sea deterrence, while pursuing multilateral global disarmament.