Brexit offers UK chance to reinvent its global role

PAKISTAN and India celebrate the 70th anniversary of their independence from the United Kingdom on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Almost three quarters of a century after these landmark events, UK foreign policy is undergoing - with Brexit - one of its biggest transformations since decolonisation and the end of British Empire.

With the coming exit from the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May has asserted that she wants to rediscover the UK's heritage "as a great global trading nation", including with former parts of the Empire and now-Commonwealth, such as India; plus other key emerging markets such as China and the Gulf Cooperation Council states; and key industrialised countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. To this end, UK Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox has confirmed he is already discussing, informally, new UK trade deals with at least a dozen countries.

At the same time that informal talks have begun with multiple nations on these bilateral trade agendas, Mr Fox has also opened discussions with the 164-strong body of the WTO over post-Brexit terms of membership. The UK's current membership is governed by its status within the EU with Brussels making commitments on trade tariffs and quotas on behalf of the 28 governments.