There has always been a strong tradition of internationalism within the Labour Party. This stems, at its heart, from a belief that we achieve more together than alone and that collectivism, solidarity and the struggle for social justice have always extended beyond our borders.
There are no shortage of foreign policy and international issues affecting the UK – from the crises in Syria and Ukraine, EU reform, our military drawdown in Afghanistan, trade cooperation to deliberation of the future of global development policy at the UN - however, in these times of austerity it is unsurprising that policy development on foreign affairs issues and Britain’s place in the world has suffered in the face of more pressing domestic issues.
In an increasingly complex and interdependent world, the linkages between the domestic and the international are stronger than ever. Many of the things that Britons say they care about are affected by influences beyond our borders – our economy, jobs, climate, energy bills, immigration, health etc.
The Young Fabians One Nation Ideas Series project on internationalism will explore how we can create a strong, coherent narrative on Britain’s place in the world that is relevant to the doorstep and look to reignite a passion for internationalism within the Labour Party. The project has scope to explore:
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What does internationalism mean within a One Nation Labour Party? How can it reflect the modern world, our values and our history?
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What issues define and characterise 21st century international political landscape and how does affect Britain?
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What does a distinctly Labour approach to foreign policy and internationalism look like? On which issues can we distinguish ourselves and what challenges will arise?
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How do we make internationalism relevant to voters again? How do we create greater consistency between our domestic and international agendas?
Please sign up if you would like to get involved. If you would like to run a satellite event in your local area, please check out our regional guide.
Chair: Jessica Toale
Vice-chair: Isaac Turner