The implications of the UK elections for the Middle East region by Dr. Tom Walsh






Dr. Tom Walsh 

Lecturer and Tutor of International Relations and Politics & Middle East Researcher


The New (capitalisation intentional) Labour government has been met with optimistic eyebrow raising around the world. A so-called progressive party back in charge of a G8 country, at a glance, signals hope. The new foreign secretary, David Lammy, has been spreading his message of 'progressive realism' for a while now. He defines this, and I quote, as:


"using realist means to pursue progressive ends. For the British government, that requires tough-minded honesty about the United Kingdom, the balance of power, and the state of the world. But instead of using the logic of realism solely to accumulate power, progressive realism uses it in the service of just goals — for example climate change, defending democracy, and advancing the world’s economic development. It is the pursuit of ideals without the delusions about what is achievable".


Typical of centrist policy, this view gives the Labour party almost infinite wiggle-room when it comes to its foreign affairs. They have tied themself down to very little, and any sense of coherence is largely absent.


Aside from this flamboyant rhetoric, what does this new government mean for the Middle East? Well, in relative terms, very little. The UK retains an over-inflated sense of self-importance, harking back to the colonial era, despite a hugely depleted army and an almost non-existent navy. 


However, what it does actually stand for amounts to a dystopian and misguided set of principles, policies, and alliances, that mark no significant change from those pursued by the Tories. Labour lost many votes, and 4 seats, to pro-Palestinian candidates. It stands for ongoing support for Israel, with Keir Starmer infamously saying in an LBC interview after the invasion of Gaza that the Israeli government "had the right" to continue to obstruct aid from reaching Palestinians. Keir Starmer saw his constitutency majority cut in half, mainly due to the success of pro-Palestine candidate and former colleague of Nelson Mandela, Andrew Feinstein.


Their manifesto pledged to label the IRGC in Iran as a terrorist organisation, and they have also committed to continue tactical strikes with the US on the Houthis in Yemen. Both of these policies will only further fuel instability in the region, and will embolden the so-called Axis of Resistance. 


This is coupled with continuing investment in and engagement with the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, who bombed the Houthis for 8 years to no discernible military affect. Labour will continue an alliance that has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with at least 377,000 people dying since 2015.


While Starmer and Lammy promise "progressive realism", we can expect to see more of the same, with a continuation of cooperation with the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Any party pursuing these policies is the antithesis of progressive.

 

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