The UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development are woefully off track. Despite the fires raging around our world—the aftershocks of the Covid pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the climate emergency—this Conservative government has effectively retreated from the world stage. It has broken promises and slashed support. At a time when our interdependence has never been so obvious, the prime minister seems more inclined to abandon goals for a better world than deliver them.
Labour must fill this gap. Our stance must be different.
Facing the pressures of everyday life in the UK, particularly those linked to the cost-of-living crisis, some will be tempted to focus solely on domestic issues, but the international environment must not be neglected in the run-up to the next election and beyond. Global crises have an unquestionable impact on people in the UK, and it would be irresponsible for any serious political party to ignore them. The moral case for action and cooperation is as strong today as it was for every previous Labour government.
And the good news is that there are also political gains to be made in seizing this agenda. UK voters will support a party with a progressive, sensible, and respectful approach to foreign affairs that works on a principle that “prevention is better than cure”, and which recognises that the challenges we face globally will affect us all locally.
Recent polling commissioned by The ONE Campaign shows that not only is there principled support for the UK’s work fighting extreme poverty, but people are also pragmatic about that work. Two-thirds (65 per cent) agree that it is important to them for the UK to address injustice in the world, and seven in 10 (69 per cent) agree that it is better to prevent global shocks from happening rather than respond to them once they have escalated. People understand that conflict prevention and peacekeeping take a mix of soft and hard power. Seventy per cent agree that to build a safe and secure world, access to education, healthcare and job opportunities are as important as having a strong military.
Voters seem to want a government that seizes the initiative. Fifty-nine per cent would be more likely to vote for a party that takes action to prevent global challenges from escalating into crises. More than half want to vote for a party that believes tackling climate change internationally is a priority, that makes fighting threats to human health a priority, and that understands the importance of fighting global challenges (53 per cent, 56 per cent and 54 per cent respectively). And these results grow among younger respondents, with 61 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds more likely to vote for a party that prioritised climate action, compared to 46 per cent of over 55s.
That public support should give us the courage to be bold and determined. Focusing on a global green transition, making the financial system more equitable and effective, revamping the UK’s approach to conflict and security, investing in education for girls and building global health security are just some of the areas where a bold and ambitious government could make a substantial difference to the lives of people around the world—but also make us safer, more secure and more economically resilient at home. There is genuine public appetite for a government that will respond properly to these generational questions. The question for Labour is whether it is ready to do so.
The Labour leadership should commit to action that will rebuild UK credibility on the world stage, confident in the British public’s desire to tackle global challenges. Fighting for global justice is in Labour’s DNA. At its best, our party has been relentless in its determination to tackle injustice and inequality everywhere, whether home or abroad. And the reality is that we cannot afford not to be. The next government will have to decide if it wants to be part of the solution or get left behind. Keir Starmer and his team can lead this charge—and it’s in all our best interests that they succeed.
