Key Takeaways
On foreign and defence policy, Labour is likely to stick
relatively close to the Conservatives, advocating for
investment in defensive capabilities, maintenance of
Trident nuclear submarines, and support of the UK’s
membership of international institutions including
NATO.
Expect to hear lots from Labour about ‘securonomics’.
Taking from the Biden political playbook, this strategy
advocates for supply chain realignment, and a closer
integration of economic and security policies.
We do not expect any softening of the UK
government’s position on China in the event of a
Labour government, and indeed policy may become
more hawkish over time in line with global trends.
Compared to the Conservatives, Labour will place a
greater emphasis on improving relations with the EU
through partnerships on security and trade.
Its vision for improving relations is ambitious, but it is
not clear whether the party will be politically willing to
make the necessary concessions to the EU for the
current relationship to change significantly. We will
have more to say on this in a forthcoming note.