The shadow Foreign Secretary has said a Labour government will revamp Britain’s foreign policy apparatus to help rebuild prosperity with a focus on the priorities of working people in the UK.
Under the Conservatives, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been left without the economic and industrial expertise it needs to deal with the challenges of a modern global economy, David Lammy said.
He said more needed to be done to counter increased geopolitical instability abroad, which leads directly to rocketing energy bills and rising prices at the supermarket checkout at home.
“Labour will make foreign policy choices with working people at the forefront of our minds," he said.
Under a Labour government, diplomats would be instructed to seek exemption to the US Inflation Reduction Act subsidy regime and a new approach to trade with Europe while remaining outside the EU single market and customs union.
Labour would also establish a new joint FCDO-Home Office cell counter threats and bolster UK security in the face of hostile foreign powers such as Russia and Iran.
Working in partnership with intelligence and security agencies, it would assess the threat from foreign states, disrupt hostile actors and develop new frameworks to protect democracies from interference and misinformation.
Labour Party Conference - in pictures
“The FCDO lacks sufficient economic and industrial expertise necessary to navigate the challenges of the modern global economy, whether it be the regulation of emerging technology, or the race to secure the supply of rare earth elements,” Mr Lammy said.
“We need an FCDO equipped for the challenges of the future, retooled and re-equipped for a new era of geo-economics, disinformation and technological changes, driven by sustainable growth in the UK and accelerating our transition into a green superpower.
“Modern conflicts are being waged through manipulating energy prices, using critical technologies or resources as bargaining chips, launching cyberattacks and spreading misinformation, and detaining foreign nationals.
“These threats often exist in the grey zone, blurring the lines between peace and war. We need a co-ordinated response to counter modern state threats.”
Mr Lammy reaffirmed Labour’s “unshakeable” commitment to Nato and its support for Ukraine, while seeking a new UK-EU security pact.
He promised to push for a “clean power alliance” of developed and developing nations committed to 100 per cent clean power by 2030, while maintaining support for the international rule of law.
“Undermining international law runs counter to Britain’s interests. It damages our moral authority and political credibility,” he said.
“It makes us appear unreliable and untrustworthy, making future agreements more challenging to reach. In doing so, it serves the interests of authoritarians and dictators who seek to weaken the rule of law.”
