The advocates of Brexit like to paint an optimistic picture of a post-EU Britain as an active, globally engaged power. ‘Who has the parochial mindset here,’ asks Dan Hannan, ‘those who want a global role of the United Kingdom, or those who think that our role must be mediated by Federica Mogherini, the EU’s Foreign Minister?’ Eurosceptics rarely outline the details of the UK that they have in mind. At most, they say that once the UK leaves, the British government could negotiate free-trade agreements with countries overseas – most notably those in the Commonwealth.
But there is much more to international engagement than trade. For a campaign that takes pride in its global outlook, it is striking how much the Leave crowd brushes aside the effects that Brexit would have on the UK’s more immediate neighbourhood – specifically on Europe.
True, Brexit would not affect the UK’s military might, its commitments within NATO, nor its ability to form coalitions with the United States and Western European countries to deal with the security issues of the day.
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