The Good International Citizenship framework can be used to build an ethically-minded UK foreign policy

The New Labour government committed to including an ethical dimension in UK foreign policy, but was criticised for failing to meet the standards it set out to achieve. In many ways the Coalition government has sought to maintain New Labour’s commitment but has faced similar tensions. Jonathan Gilmore argues that foreign policy should reflect a balance between the government’s responsibilities to the national interest, the promotion of a stable inter-state order, and the wellbeing of vulnerable non-citizens.