IN THE 1990s, former Conservative foreign secretary Douglas Hurd asserted that the United Kingdom could “punch above its weight” in the post-war era despite no longer being a great power. That may have remained true in much of the decades since, but is under increasing scrutiny in the 2020s.

That is part of the reason that the UK government released last Tuesday (Mar 14) a refreshed foreign policy strategy for the new era of international relations heralded by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

However, members of parliament have noted that the document does not address gaps in the UK’s defence capabilities, which undermine the country’s Nato contribution. These include army forces which, with planned cutbacks to just over 70,000, will be at the lowest level since the 1700s.