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Gary Kent

Gary Kent is an international relations expert and Labour Party member. His column for PB highlights Labour's foreign policy challenges.  
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Gary Kent

Penge, Paris, and Southport

Penge, Paris, and Southport were linked by recent hostile Russian actions. A Russian criminal cyberattack badly disrupted blood services in Penge and south east London. It is likely, though unconfirmed, that Russian saboteurs or proxies attacked railways to disrupt the Paris Olympics. Russian bots and state backed media certainly amplified

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Gary Kent

Only Labour can mend the UK’s reputation on foreign policy

To paraphrase Trotsky, you may not be interested in foreign policy, but foreign policy is interested in you. National security will be an issue in the general election but thankfully Corbyn’s ambiguities have been muscled out by a tough-minded Labour approach including securonomics. We live in an age of crisis,

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Gary Kent

Ireland and NATO

A senior diplomat once told me in fluent Yes Minister mandarin that countries encouraging the Irish Republic to join the Commonwealth should do so alphabetically. In short, there was little chance of the UK as the old imperial power being heeded. The impetus in the 1990s for Ireland rejoining the

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Gary Kent

Unity is the only path to victory in Ukraine

Social democracy is like painting the Forth Bridge: a ceaseless task of applying progressive values to civilise capitalism. In foreign policy, these values are much harder to deploy in building bridges and challenging hostile actors.Labour’s multi-pronged policy combines securing national interests, which we define differently from the Conservatives, driving development

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Gary Kent

Pulling together to deliver (cars) for Ukraine

Keir Starmer and John Healey’s visit to Estonia to meet our troops sends all the right signals. It further buried the Corbyn past, assured our allies of our present and enduring commitment to NATO, and shows the solidity of our solidarity in helping ensure the safe future of Ukraine.Labour MP

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