London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 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
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
UK Airports Face Continuing Disruption After National Air Traffic Control Failure
UK Bans Imports From Israeli Settlements and Expands Sanctions on Iran
British Chambers of Commerce Forecasts UK Growth of 1% as Investment Remains Weak
UK Suspends Local Government Reorganisation Decisions and Cancels Planned Shadow Authority Polls
UK Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Gaps in Climate Change Preparedness
Andy Burnham and Xi Jinping Hold Talks on Trade, Security and British Consular Cases
UK Joins France, Canada and Other Nations in Measures Against Israeli West Bank Settlements
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Networks
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
×