POST BREXIT GREAT BRITAIN AND COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS: AN ANALYSIS OF DOMESTIC SOURCES OF COMMONWEALTH FOREIGN POLICY

 

POST BREXIT GREAT BRITAIN AND COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS: AN ANALYSIS OF DOMESTIC SOURCES OF COMMONWEALTH FOREIGN POLICY

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            BY

 

                                                      Patrick Olufemi Adelusi PhD

                                    John & James Associates (Bilingual Policy Scientists)

                                                             London. United Kingdom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    ABSTRACT                                                                                

Post Brexit Global Great Britain started her journey with the 2018 withdrawal Bill disengaging the UK from the European Union. There was one-year transition programme that was consummated by a comprehensive Post Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement Bill. The negotiations though dragged on, has a Trade and Cooperation Agreement Bill of 1,246 pages that was finally signed by the UK and the European Union, just in time for 2020 Christmas. In the preparation for the Global Britain Trade and Cooperation Policy, Theresa May, as Prime Minister paid scheduled visits to China, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, and Nigeria to mention but a few. Looking at the enumerated list, four out of the 5 countries belong to the Commonwealth. May’s visits were carried out with the consciousness of ‘soft’ politics and the reality of trade deals. Finally, under the leadership of Theresa May, there was a Commonwealth Conference of Heads of State and Government hosted by the UK. Boris Johnson as Prime Minister is yet to make visits to the Commonwealth countries. What is the connection between Post Brexit Global Great Britain and the Commonwealth? What are the internal sources of Global Great Britain Foreign Policy to the Commonwealth? To find answers to these immediate posers, our methodology is to examine the domestic policy inputs of the Foreign Policy outputs of the ruling Conservative Party towards Post Brexit Global Great Britain and the Commonwealth. For ease of analysis, the preliminary study will be looked at in 3 Sections. These are the Section 1- Introduction; Section 2-Domestic Sources of Post Brexit Global Great Britain Commonwealth Policy; Section 3-Conclusion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I-                INTRODUCTION

Post Brexit Global Great Britain has just begun to unfold. Nurses and Medical Doctors are in short supply. The shortage became an issue for the December 2019 national elections. Promises were made to up the supply to 60,000 manpower. Local Medical Schools are unable to meet up. COVIC-19 came along to accentuate the glaring gap existing in the Medical NHS of the UK. Building contractors and Restaurant and Entertainment Sectors are the other open gap to be filled by the supply demand pull of the economy. Trade and Cooperation Agreement Bill of 1,246 pages was finally signed by the UK and the European Union, just in time for 2020 Christmas. In the preparation for the Global Britain Trade and Cooperation Policy, Theresa May, as Prime Minister paid scheduled visits to China, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, and Nigeria to mention but a few. Looking at the enumerated list, four out of the 5 countries belong to the Commonwealth. May’s visits were carried out with the consciousness of ‘soft’ politics and the reality of trade deals.

 There was under the leadership of Theresa May, a Commonwealth Conference of Heads of State and Governments; and The Commonwealth presents another bloc where the Global Great Britain’s medicine and machinery are traded with little or no tariffs, tackle climate change and improve the health of the oceans. The Global Great Britain can join other members to develop through trade, pushing back against protectionism, respond to threats to the rules based international order and from cyber-attacks. Global Great Britain could also encourage upholding of common values which the Commonwealth organisation has always stood for – democracy, human rights, tolerance, and the rule of law. Global Great Britain’s influence could be felt by her push for the creation of fora for business leaders, young people, women, and the civil society, while focusing on issues such as improving trade, youth unemployment, education, and health.

Post Brexit Global Great Britain applies to join a new trading club the Pacific

Rim nations of 11 country bloc regarded to be one of the fastest growing free trade areas in the world which represent 13% of global income and 500 million people. The membership of this club includes the following, Australia. Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Looking at the composition of this list, 5 members belong to the Commonwealth. There are 54 members of the Commonwealth from the 6 continents made up of 2.4billion people. What is the connection between Post Brexit Global Great Britain and the Commonwealth? What are the internal sources of Global Great Britain Foreign Policy to the Commonwealth? To find answers to these immediate posers, our methodology is to examine the domestic policy inputs of the Foreign Policy outputs of the ruling Conservative Party towards Post Brexit Global Great Britain and the Commonwealth. For ease of analysis, the preliminary study will be looked at in 4 Sections. These are the Section 1- Introduction; Section 2-Domestic Sources of Post Brexit Global Great Britain Commonwealth Policy; Section 3- Post Brexit Global Great Britain and the Commonwealth and Section 4-Conclusion.

 

II-             DOMESTIC SOURCES OF POST BREXIT GLOBAL GREAT BRITAIN COMMONWEALTH POLICY

What are the immediate and remote domestic sources of Global Great Britain’s Commonwealth Policy? Getting out of European comity of States leaves Great Britain without immediate club. Tariff free trade organisations for British manufacturing and machineries become immediate domestic source pushing for stable relationship, which a Commonwealth policy could advance.

The Commonwealth of Nations is a big club. There are 54 members of the Commonwealth from the 6 continents made up of 2.4billion people. 32 of the members are regarded as small States. It was mentioned above that Theresa May, British Prime Minister in the eye of the Brexit negotiations made efforts to revive British Commonwealth Policy ahead of her exit from Europe. Her physical journey to some selected Commonwealth countries, while reviewing established trade pacts. The Educational, Scientific and Cultural treaties binding all the 54 countries together as a bloc give the British a lee way to accentuate her trade and commercial relations as well.

Foreign and overseas students’ enrolment in British universities and higher educational facilities is an important factor. All British Universities compete for a large percentage of these Commonwealth and overseas students, and from which their incomes and funding are derived. Academic Lecturers are exchanged easily under the bloc’s agreements. Another likely domestic source Global Britain Commonwealth Policy is derived from the shortage of Medical Doctors and Nurses. There are yawning vacancies for Medical doctors and Nurses in the UK. These sets of professionals have enjoyed British based medical training. This allows easy flow and adjustment across the Commonwealth.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has added another level of domestic sources of Foreign Policy. Global Great Britain’s policy to the Commonwealth countries on this pandemic is that awaiting fulfilment. There are great expectations from the Commonwealth nations for extension of the Covid-19 vaccines. The UK has been reported to have signed a Trade Partnership with Ghana, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in the month of March 2021 as published on the 2^nd March of 2021. This Partnership agreement with Ghana secures tariff-free trade and provides a platform for greater economic and cultural cooperation. Furthermore, it means Ghanaian products including bananas, tinned tuna and cocoa will benefit from tariff-free access to the United Kingdom.

 

III-          CONCLUSION

There is very great expectation from Post Brexit Global Great Britain. The Island of Great Britain is moving forward. Coming out of the 40 Years plus relationship with the European Union, Global Great Britain is evolving with a heart-warming ascendancy of a new reset United States; a very important ally of the Global Britain.

President Biden emerged victorious as the new occupant of the White House, the Pacific

Rim nations of 11 country bloc regarded to be one of the fastest growing free trade areas present itself also, and finally, the assured ready partnership ever presented by the Commonwealth of Nations. These are positive factors around which the Global Great Britain shall become renown.

When the Pandemic of Covid-19 is over, Global Great Britain will harness both internal and external sources of foreign policy to affirm her place in the world.

Post Brexit Global Great Britain started her journey with the 2018 withdrawal Bill disengaging the UK from the European Union. There was one-year transition programme that was consummated by a comprehensive Post Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement Bill. The negotiations though dragged on, has a Trade and Cooperation Agreement Bill of 1,246 pages that was finally signed by the UK and the European Union, just in time for 2020 Christmas. In the preparation for the Global Britain Trade and Cooperation Policy, Theresa May, as Prime Minister paid scheduled visits to China, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, and Nigeria to mention but a few. Looking at the enumerated list, four out of the 5 countries belong to the Commonwealth. May’s visits were carried out with the consciousness of ‘soft’ politics and the reality of trade deals. Finally, under the leadership of Theresa May, there was a Commonwealth Conference of Heads of State and Government hosted by the UK. Boris Johnson as Prime Minister is yet to make visits to the Commonwealth countries. When the Pandemic is over, Prime Minister Boris is likely to renew the visits to all these Commonwealth countries and probably negotiate various trade agreements with them.