Commentary
The UK’s decision to change its prime minister on Oct. 24 pushed it toward another crossroads: whether to pursue Britain’s revival of global trade, prestige, and influence or retire once again to the role of middling power.
The recent path toward a revival of “global Britain,” matched by the dawn of a new monarchical era with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, had been heralded by many as a glimmer of hope that the West still had some potential to revive its influence and moral stature.
The selection of former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak as the next leader of the Conservative Party—and therefore as the next British prime minister—seems likely to set the UK on a path to only modest economic and strategic growth over the coming few years. This will have a significant impact on the path of the major new global alliance that the UK entered in September 2021: the Australia-UK-United States (AUKUS) pact….