Chapter 19

Understanding Britain’s Place in the World

In This Chapter

arrow Moving from empire to somewhere in the middle

arrow Getting into bed with the European Union

arrow Maintaining a special relationship with the United States

arrow Reckoning with China

arrow Heading up the Commonwealth of Nations

arrow Policing the world

Britain may be an island but it has always engaged with the rest of the world, from the days of exploration and empire through to the export of British music and culture.

In this chapter I take an honest look at Britain’s relationship with its close neighbours in Europe and further afield to the former colonies, the rising powerhouse China and, of course, the United States.

Declining Fortunes: From Empire to the Middle Ranks

If you find yourself an old atlas – and I’m talking early 20th century, here – and turn to a map of the world, you see an awful lot of countries coloured in pink – India, ...

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