ABSTRACT
Britain’s international position today is that of a medium-sized country which ranks economically behind Germany, the USA and Japan. Yet some of its leaders still believe that it can have international influence and a global role. For example, the Labour government had earlier developed a foreign policy with an ‘ethical dimension’ which focused on human rights and shifted away from aggressive unilateral action to persuasive partnership. This could be applied to Britain’s dealings with other countries, particularly in terms of arms sales and nationalist conflicts. But the policy was heavily criticized and there has been a return to issues of national selfinterest in the context of international co-operation.
