The New Diplomacy Project

The New Diplomacy Project is an independent not-for-profit think tank that aims to support the development of a progressive foreign policy for the 21st century.  We believe that defence of the liberal international order, human rights, and the rule of law are not just moral goods, but in the long-term economic, national security, and self interest of the UK and other democracies.

International issues such as migration, development, and now climate change, which require pragmatic thinking and international cooperation built upon shared values, are increasingly falling victim to the importation of extreme ideological positions that have no historic basis in UK policymaking.

The New Diplomacy Project has been founded to help policymakers with a progressive worldview, to challenge these positions, and offer evidence-based credible policy solutions, which recognises the risks associated with the UK turning inwards, abandoning its international commitments, and making decisions in the short-term which harms the UK’s security and standing in the long-run. 

Our policy research is driven by a core belief that the UK must maintain and deepen its existing international commitments, from better utilising its seat at the United Nations Security Council to reiterating its role as the preeminent NATO military power in Europe. We also recognise the need for fresh policy ideas to meet the challenges posed by Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, and the rise of the People’s Republic of China. The New Diplomacy Project stands ready to facilitate this fresh thinking.

The UK Government is fortunate to have inherited significant foreign policy assets, including oversized influence in multinational institutions, sizeable soft power, a first-class diplomatic service, a well-trained and respected military, and leadership in the delivery of overseas development aid.

Sadly, much of these capabilities in recent years have faced neglect and are being squandered by poor policy planning and a lack of ambition.

We believe the UK Government is particularly ill-equipped in its current form to navigate the next phase of geopolitical and economic disruption, which has seen the return of great power competition, emerging technologies, protectionism, and the de-risking of supply chains.

Ministers, officials, and parliamentarians, will have to work harder, smarter, and faster than many of the UK’s partners to maintain the current prosperity, security, and influence its citizens have become accustomed to. This will require informed elected officials who are willing to marshal the UK’s resources, ideas, and leadership, to develop a positive and progressive vision of the UK’s place in the world. 

The New Diplomacy Project through its committee and network of advisors and experts aims to expand and deepen the foreign policy expertise and capacity amongst progressive parliamentarians and policymakers to meet these challenges, through impactful and original policy research, briefings, and events.

We intend to use our work to advance and prioritize three core foreign policy areas: The UK’s role in the world, dealing with the challenges presented by the People’s Republic of China to the liberal international order, and Ukraine and Eurasia.

Since our inception, we have built a network of academics, researchers, and country-specific and thematic experts, who have a desire to educate and inform progressive policymakers. We have also developed a core network of progressive parliamentarians who are interested in the UK’s role in the world and learning more about the pressing foreign policy issues which impact the lives of their constituents.  

Through the expansion of these networks, the delivery of impactful and original policy research, and increased foreign policy engagement of progressive parliamentarians and policymakers, we believe it is possible for the UK to have a progressive, aspirational, and competent foreign policy. 

Because those who care about the world beyond their borders, are often those equipped with the knowledge that will make it possible for the UK to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Latest briefing papers