ABSTRACT
This chapter studies British foreign policy since the election of the Labour Government in May 1997 under three headings. The first is that Government's 'ethical' foreign policy, introduced as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office mission statement as early as 12 May 1997, days after the election; an extension of this was Blair's policy of 'liberal interventionism'. The second is defence policy and the various cuts, some significantly deep made during the past decade and a half. The third heading is the government's relationship with the United States. 'Idealist' approaches had some origin in the Manchester Radicals but emerged more fully following the disastrous Great War. The 'Realist' approach represents the inherited wisdom of foreign policy practice over the last several centuries. The Middle East has proved a volatile war torn region of the world ever since the end of World War II.
