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The UK and EU Foreign and Security Policy: An Optional Extra
Author(s) -
Whitman Richard G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the political quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.373
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1467-923X
pISSN - 0032-3179
DOI - 10.1111/1467-923x.12249
Subject(s) - referendum , security policy , foreign policy , brexit , member states , european union , international trade , diplomacy , political science , independence (probability theory) , prime minister , public administration , national security , political economy , business , economics , law , politics , computer security , statistics , mathematics , computer science
Foreign and security policy were not areas in which Prime Minister Cameron was seeking to renegotiate the relationship between the UK and the European Union ( EU ), but security may be a key issue in the EU referendum. The untangling of Britain's foreign and security policy from the EU following a Brexit vote would be relatively uncomplicated. The EU 's arrangements for collective foreign and security policy, the Common Foreign and Security Policy ( CFSP ) and Common Security and Defence Policy ( CSDP ), are conducted on an intergovernmental basis which allows the UK to preserve independence in its diplomacy while allowing for the coordination of policy where interests are held in common with other member states. The UK retains substantial diplomatic and military capabilities which would allow it to continue to pursue a separate national foreign, security and defence policy in the case of either a ‘Leave’ or ‘Remain’ outcome.