Johnson and Biden are to issue a 'New Atlantic Charter' at their mtg today. Will it live up to the impact of its great 1941 Churchill/Roosevelt predecessor? The first Chapter of Hard Choices analyses the AC , which shaped the postwar peace. (Here with Churchill amendments) 1/
UK politicians love to invoke the symbolism of the Atlantic Charter as the foundation of the 'special relationship' or whatever we are now to call it. Theresa May even gave Trump a facsimile in 2019. Why does this document exercise such fascination? 2/6 dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7…
The AC set out 8 principles. Those on territorial integrity and non-use of force went almost word for word into the UN Charter and so became a backbone of international law. The right of all peoples to choose their form of gov't became a rallying-cry for decolonisation 3/6
The pledge that all would have equal access to the markets and raw materials of the world pointed the way to the GATT. The ambition to improve labour standards and social security foreshadowed the 1942 Beveridge Plan creating the UK welfare state 4/6
Crucially, Churchill persuaded Roosevelt to sign up to the goal of a 'wider and permanent system of international security'. This soon got a name when the US invited 24 other nations to sign with them in Dec 1941 a 'Declaration of the United Nations'. 5/6
The AC showed what c'd happen when the UK and US shared a vision and then turned it into durable institutions. Its principles were influential in shaping a new global order. Will today's document rise to that level, or just be pledges to improve US-UK relations? We shall see! 6/6

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More from @LordRickettsP

7 Jun
In April @MarkLowcock and I warned that the abrupt aid cuts would damage Britain’s reputation and ability to spur global action. Now on the eve of the G7 summit we have the humiliating spectacle of the Gov’t opposing efforts from senior MPs to reaffirm its legal commitment 1/2
The case for scrapping the cuts is overwhelming. UK is the only G7 member cutting aid. France and Germany are increasing to 0.7%. No other part of UK public spending is being cut. The world’s poor are the only victims of the hard choices the Gov’t says it’s compelled to make 2/5
The cuts are falling disproportionately on bilateral programmes in some of the countries in greatest need (food assistance to Yemen cut 60%) and on smaller programmes like clean water (scandalously cut by 80% despite the pandemic) and UN family planning campaign (-85%). 3/5
Read 5 tweets
17 Mar
In coming days I will delve into more detail on aspects of the IR. Today, setting priorities. The US historian John Lewis Gaddis defined strategy as ‘the alignment of potentially unlimited aspirations with necessarily limited capabilities’. How does the IR measure up to that? 1/9
I wouldn’t claim that the Nat Sec Strategy and Strategic Defence Review I oversaw in 2010 was perfect. But we did for the first time set out a prioritied set of national security risks. We listed 15, in 3 tiers. In the 2015 NSS, that had grown to 20 but was still manageable 2/9
Our top four risks in 2010 (another int conflict, terrorism, cyber and natural hazards incl a pandemic) all got extra funding in the spending review published at the same time. I would describe that as an integrated review, with ends, ways and means broadly aligned. 3/9
Read 9 tweets
16 Mar
The Review is a carefully-crafted document, balancing precariously key policy continuities and eye-catching new themes. Overall, less of a radical shift than advertised. But there are important unresolved tensions. How these play out is what will the shape the new strategy 1/8
On the continuities, welcome reaffirmation of UK leadership in NATO and euro-Atlantic security, the alliance with the US, commitment to multilateralism, and upholding human rights and open economies. 2/8
The most striking new ambition is for UK to be a science and tech superpower, with this creating strategic advantage and prosperity. Linked both to the tech threat from China and building on the UK’s success in vaccines. Another is to ‘shape the future international order’ 3/8
Read 8 tweets
26 Dec 20
The decision not to participate in #Erasmus is short-sighted and mean-spirited. The programme transformed the life-chances of thousands of Brits, many from disadvantaged backgrounds. The proposed UK alternative from a standing start will not be a full substitute. Here’s why. 1/7
Erasmus is often misunderstood as ‘just’ about uni student exchanges. That’s hugely important. But it also promoted vocational education and training placements and youth exchanges for schoolchildren. It gave extra grants for those with disabilities. All this = levelling up. 2/7
Erasmus gave participants a common framework and rules, which reduced the admin burden of setting up and running exchanges. This was vital for smaller colleges, youth groups etc. See evidence given to our Lords Cttee in 2018 on all this
publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ld… 3/7
Read 7 tweets
26 Dec 20
Initial take on the security/justice parts of deal, based on summaries. May be useful when studying the full text. Overall, better than I had feared. Will reduce gap in capability from 1 Jan if applied immediately. BUT cooperation will be still be slower/more clunky than now. 1/7
Data sharing. Looks like a good outcome: UK can continue to exchange fingerprint and DNA data through Prum (though not in real-time, so it will be slower) and vehicle reg. data in future. Exchange of Passenger Name Records continues, on precedent set by EU/US and AUS deals. 2/7
In similar way, UK won’t have real-time access to the ECRIS criminal records database, but will have a ‘streamlined and time-limited process’ for data exchange using shared technical infrastructure. Important, as speed=safety in these data-exchange areas 3/7
Read 7 tweets
2 Nov 20
10 years ago today, UK and France signed two landmark Treaties on defence cooperation, which I coordinated as National Security Adviser. Here’s my view of what has been achieved (a mixed picture) and the prospects (much of the momentum has been lost) 1/4 rusi.org/commentary/fra…
One Treaty made a 50 year commitment to nuclear cooperation. The two countries are sharing a single facility (in Burgundy) for testing their warhead designs using advanced simulation. Saves each side money, and sends a powerful message of confidence in long-term partnership 2/4
The second treaty enabled much closer operational cooperation between the armed forces. This has been a success story. UK and France now have a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force trained to fight together. Exchanges of personnel and regular exercises have forged strong links. 3/4
Read 4 tweets

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