Global Britain and cosmopolitan nationalism

Journal article

The term ‘Global Britain’ was widely used by the UK government between 2016 and 2021 to signal its ambition to reorient the nation’s foreign policy on departure from the European Union. There was, however, considerable uncertainty about what the term meant beyond this, with some commentators suggesting that it denoted a de-prioritising of relations with European nations, others arguing that it represented a reassertion of colonial perspectives, and yet others contending it was largely an empty concept, devoid of meaning. In this article, we draw on a range of policy documents to consider whether it can be considered a form of ‘cosmopolitan nationalism’–i.e. a policy agenda that promoted both a sense of nationalism and a global outlook. In developing our analysis, we focus on education–not least because this was one of the few policy domains where the language of ‘Global Britain’ was, until recently, still used (in the promotion of the Turing Scheme). We argue that while, prima facie, the term seems a plausible case of cosmopolitan nationalism, the significant limitations to the ‘global outlook’ that is deployed suggest that it was far from ‘cosmopolitan’ in its reach and ambition.

Authors: Brooks, R; Waters, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Journal: Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 8-24
• Publication date: 2024-12-30
• Acceptance date: 2024-08-15
• DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2024.2436334
• EISSN: 1469-3739
• ISSN: 0159-6306
• Language: English
• Keywords: policy; Global Britain; cosmopolitan nationalism; higher education