London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Feb 02, 2026

UK's fear of post-Brexit failure stopping 'global Britain' leading against China

UK's fear of post-Brexit failure stopping 'global Britain' leading against China

TOBIAS ELLWOOD has insisted Brexit Britain must not be hesitant in showing leadership against China.

Tory MP and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood, argued the UK was not fully utilising its position on the global stage. During an interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Ellwood argued Brexit Britain must not be fearful of failure when dealing with international issues. He argued there is a great need to stand up to China's aggression and the UK could fill this need.

He added he was hopeful but had doubts global Britain would be able to live up to the lofty opportunities afforded to it as an international global powerhouse.

Mr Ellwood said: "Going back to the risk adverseness of the West, there is a gap in the market for international leadership.

"Britain is in a strong position to show some leadership, certainly working with the United States.

"The original Atlantic charter was all about us putting our heads together and coming up with something which we were then able to invite other nations to support and join.

Tobias Ellwood insisted Brexit Britain must not be hesitant in showing leadership against China.


"That lead to the development of the so-called Bretton Woods organisations that have served us well but are now very dated indeed.

"The United Nations is not able to hold current nations to account.

"The World Health Organisation is struggling with this pandemic as well.

"The World Trade Organisation has been walked across because of China.

"China agreed to sign up but they are not following the rules.

"So we need a massive update, we need a reset and Britain could play an important role here."

Mr Ellwood then touched on his fears regarding global Brexit Britain going forward on the international stage.

He said: "My concern is that Britain just doesn't have the bandwidth whether it be Covid or Brexit.

Mr Ellwood then touched on his fears regarding global Brexit Britain going forward on the international stage.


"To do the global Britain you really need to advance the wider capacity, you need to be able to better coordinate our foreign policy, our security, our trade and our interests into better grand strategies.

"At the moment it is far too siloed, far too hesitant."

The Tory MP concluded what he believed was the UK's problem and its behavioural issues resolving global issues.

He said: "Yemen is a great example, we could have solved that a long time ago.

"We could have probably if we put our heads to it, solved the Kashmir problem between Pakistan and India.

"We don't step forward, we are shy in realising, for fear of failure, to show that leadership that we illustrated a couple of times in the last century."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Arrives in Shanghai to Promote British Trade and Investment
Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua and Premier League Stars Among UK’s Top Taxpayers
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Wall Street Bets on Strong US Growth and Currency Moves as Dollar Slips After Trump Comments
UK Prime Minister Traveled to China Using Temporary Phones and Laptops to Limit Espionage Risks
Google’s $68 Million Voice Assistant Settlement Exposes Incentives That Reward Over-Collection
Kim Kardashian Admits Faking Paparazzi Visit to Britney Spears for Fame in Early 2000s
UPS to Cut 30,000 More Jobs by 2026 Amid Shift to High-Margin Deliveries
France Plans to Replace Teams and Zoom Across Government With Homegrown Visio by 2027
Trump Removes Minneapolis Deportation Operation Commander After Fatal Shooting of Protester
Iran’s Elite Wealth Abroad and Sanctions Leakage: How Offshore Luxury Sustains Regime Resilience
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Four Arrested in Andhra Pradesh Over Alleged HIV-Contaminated Injection Attack on Doctor
Hot Drinks, Hidden Particles: How Disposable Cups Quietly Increase Microplastic Exposure
UK Banks Pledge £11 Billion Lending Package to Help Firms Expand Overseas
Suella Braverman Defects to Reform UK, Accusing Conservatives of Betrayal on Core Policies
Melania Trump Documentary Sees Limited Box Office Traction in UK Cinemas
Meta and EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Non-Consensual Public Recording Economy
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
×