Former British Ambassador to the US and political risk experts to give evidence to Lords foreign policy inquiry
Former British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Peter Westmacott, and four political risk experts will appear before the House of Lords International Relations Committee on Wednesday 21 February as part of its inquiry UK 'Foreign Policy in Changed World Conditions'.
The inquiry was launched in January 2018 to examine the changing face of international relations and foreign policy, and to assess the UK's strategy and capability to adapt to these changes.
Appearing at 10.30am, Sir Peter Westmacott, Former British Ambassador to the United States, will be asked questions including:
- Does the election of Donald Trump represent a marked departure from traditional elements of US foreign policy or has it simply accelerated existing trends?
- How would you evaluate the UK's response to disagreements between the US and its allies on important foreign policy issues, such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the Iran Nuclear Deal?
- In 2015, after the UK took the lead in joining the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the White House stated that it was “worried about a trend of constant accommodation.” How is disagreement on China affecting UK-US relations?
- President Trump's tweets are regularly covered in the British media, and he has used social media to communicate directly with the Prime Minister and to comment on domestic issues in the UK. What impact is social media and the proliferation of means of communication having on the UK-US relationship?
Appearing at 11.30am will be:
- Mr Arun Pillai-Essex, Head of Political Risk, North America, Verisk Maplecroft
- Mr Faraz Nasir, Head of Intelligence and Security Services, G4S
- Mr Jake Stratton, Senior Partner, Control Risks
- Mr Henry Wilkinson, Head of Intelligence and Analysis, Risk Advisory Group
They will be asked questions including:
- How important is foreign policy to the Trump White House, and how effective will the US government be in delivering on key goals in the next three years and beyond?
- How easy is it to predict the actions of the US government under Donald Trump's presidency?
- The UK and Europe have disagreed with US thinking on several key issues during the Trump administration, such as the Paris Agreement and the Iran Nuclear Deal. Is UK and European thinking on these issues having an impact on the White House's thinking?
- How well has the UK managed its relationship with the US in the Trump era? How has it compared with other American allies?
The session will take place on Wednesday 21 February from 10.30am in Committee Room 4.
