Released: 3rd March 2022
Genre: Politics, Global Affairs, Diplomacy, Non-Fiction
Number of Pages: 242
The modern world has rarely been more unstable; the COVID-19 pandemic and rising tension between superpowers are unfolding amidst a backdrop of rising nationalism. Britain is especially ill-placed to deal with these changes, with weak responses to both the European question and the recent spread of disease. Peter Ricketts, a highly experienced diplomat and peer in the House of Lords, has some potential answers to share in “Hard Choices”.
Lord Ricketts has extensive experience in the sector, having worked under multiple areas of the UK civil service and chaired the national security council under David Cameron’s government. Through the use of many historic examples, the book is split into three parts; how we got here, what to do now and making hard choices. How diplomacy has changed over time and the many difficulties faced by governments play a key role. Peter describes his own experiences, the mood that hung over negotiations during momentous events, adding another layer to his arguments.
What Hard Choices does is put events and our current approach into perspective; jingoistic boasting and overzealous views of Britain’s place in the world won’t get us anywhere. Unavoidably, we’ll end up aligning with one collection of nations at the expense of another or be unable to make up for losses in other areas. Be that as it may, the situation isn’t a total write-off and the author argues, with evidence, that we can still integrate into western alliances, make improvements on strategic thinking and forge a better path in geopolitics.
Recommended?
YES: Britain finds itself in a difficult spot; institutions are struggling, delusions of grandeur persist and a series of ill-advised decisions have left the nation diminished. Peter Ricketts cuts through all of that and provides a highly concise and compelling argument for future pathways. By drawing on previous examples and comparing them with modern events, the geopolitical debate is an intriguing one. Anyone with the slightest interest in the subject needs to pick up this book
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