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European choices for Gordon Brown
Russian politicians and diplomats take a very realist view of foreign policy. They tend to view suggestions of compromise as signs of weakness. But they respect strength – which is why they are so much more contemptuous of the EU than the US. The best way for Britain and its partners to influence Russia is to stand firm and united.
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Innovation, energy and climate change
A new approach to economic reform Britain benefits enormously from being part of the EU’s single market. Ambitious and enterprising people from all over Euro p e have flocked to work in one of the most open and vibrant economies in the EU. Many of the American and Asian firms that invest in Britain would not do so without the access it offers to the E u ropean market. Europe’s single market is, of course, imperfect, and still contains non-tariff barriers to the free flow of goods, services, people and capital. The Lisbon agenda for economic reform aims to remove those barriers. Alongside the Spanish and the Portuguese, the British helped to invent it. The UK has been one of the better performers in a reas such as employment, financial services, regulation, energy and higher education. If some of the other member-states could improve their compliance with Lisbon targets – for example by opening financial markets or reducing unnecessary red tape – British firms would stand to benefit. Gordon Brown’s government is well-placed to offer advice to other governments, but it will be more likely to influence them if it bears in mind two points. First, it should avoid an arrogant tone. If its attitude is “the British economic model is a great success, so you should follow our example”, it may achieve less than if it shows some humility. If the British are pre p a red to admit that on some key social and economic measures – such as labour pro d u c t i v i t y, spending on R&D, the skills base of the workforce and levels of child poverty – they are not among the best-performers, and that