During the first 12 months of Theresa May’s term as prime minister the outlines of the UK’s new, post-referendum, diplomatic strategy have taken place. The government has introduced the slogan “Global Britain” to encapsulate, to quote from the prime minister’s January 2017 Lancaster House speech, “a country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike”. This messaging has had its critics, who often suggest that Global Britain is a slogan in search of content. This perhaps misses the point: the major shift has been the adoption of a new diplomatic method: “punk diplomacy”. The UK’s punk diplomacy is marked by a desire to subvert diplomatic norms, rebel against established practices and embrace a DIY approach.

Source: The Times July 20, 2017 23:15 UTC