The Internationalist

Much has been said about Starmer’s visit to China. Will he be on the right side of history here with the decision to go and do business based on what the naysayers are saying? When Brexit happened, it allowed us to go and do the kind of trade deals with other countries. In a way that we couldn’t do before. Everything else about it was a mistake, but that remains something that is actually beneficial right now to the UK.

The freedom to trade with other nations while also becoming more closely aligned with Europe once again. If you were to say to me, is that the right course? I would say yes based on what is happening around us internationally. We have to become stronger.

I think that the UK shouldn’t be putting itself in a position where it says this country is a bad actor or that country is a bad actor. Every country has been on the wrong side of war. I am very anti-war in every way. There shouldn’t be any Ukrainians dying, nor should there be any Russians dying. Why do we have to be anti-internationalists, as a country? We should rightly have our own international interests and we shouldn’t waiver from them either. Something we haven’t been able to do in years is now before us.

We can be that country that has the power within its own right to not only work with Europe but also embed ourselves closer within it. Allowing ourselves to do business where that business allows, and ultimately on the basis of our interests, and use that as a way to galvanize our way for peace across Europe as well because we’re stronger together. We shouldn’t be seeing any country as an enemy but more so as an opportunity to find a certain standing.

Should we be guarded and base our judgments off of what we know? Absolutely. The UK isn’t what it was, there’s no British Empire. The way we safeguard our security is by being outward in a way that aligns with being more internationalist. We don’t have to condone the aggression of any country nor do we have to get into wars that are not of our interest, we force the end of wars through diplomacy in the way we act as a nation. At the same time, resolutions should always be delegated and acted on through the many nations we are now working with. China is now one of them.

The UK can be that country that not only becomes a part of Europe once again. But also one, that has a voice on the international stage which shows a way of allowing us to adapt to an ever changing world. I think how we act toward China is important. It’s a step forward in our relations and a step forward in saying to the likes of Russia that we’re going to protect Europe, but at the same time, we’re going to be open to dialogue and we just need to stop the killing. To be quite honest, that’s been needed for a long time.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what our political persuasions are. It’s about doing the right things, at the right times. Our humanity is always going to come before anything else. It’s about time we remembered that and all the important issues at home that need to be looked at. A part of us becoming this more internationalist country allows us to actually get our own house in order after years of stagnation.