ABSTRACT
This chapter examines whether the blurring of the boundaries between foreign and domestic policy characteristic of interdependence encourages diplomats to participate more extensively in issues previously considered to be domestic politics. The creation of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1968 was the final step in a process of amalgamation of the institutions responsible for various aspects of Britain's overseas representation. The creation of the Diplomatic Service and the FCO occurred in response to both the increasing complexity of international relations, demanding better coordination, and to the changing position of the United Kingdom in the international system. The FCO's United Nation department has important coordinating functions with regard to Britain's relations with the UN. The institutional changes in the FCO since 1945 have aided the department in its negotiations with the home civil service. The obvious fact of having one's own sources of economic, financial and other specialist advice aids the FCO during interdepartmental negotiations over policy.
