Between Europe and America: the coalition and Britain’s changing international role

This chapter assesses Britain’s changing international role, by looking at the first steps undertaken by the Cameron government in the international arena. It argues that the coalition government has been generally successful – in its first few months in office – in drawing a delicate balance between the traditionally very different approaches displayed by the two parties on European and international issues. The chapter starts with a short description of the peculiar international profile that the coalition has inherited from previous governments, and then assesses the coalition’s approach to international affairs in its first few months of office.