Rob Johnson has featured as an expert on the Council of Geostrategy’s Big Ask feature.
The Council of Geostrategy asks, “How should Britain respond to those with designs on its sovereign territory?”
“In recent weeks, multiple actors have questioned the sovereignty of particular British territories. Argentina has renewed its spurious claims over the Falkland Islands; the Maldives has asked His Majesty’s (HM) Government to reopen discussions about the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) – with Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, announcing that his administration will move forward with the planned deal with Mauritius – and the first ministers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland met in Cardiff to sign an agreement calling for independence referendums in their respective constituent countries.
Great powers have also become embroiled in the debates over the United Kingdom’s (UK) territory. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a close ally of Mauritius and supports its claim to the BIOT, while Donald Trump, President of the United States (US), has suggested that Washington may not support London over a new Falklands conflict, as well as stating that a united Ireland would be a ‘fantastic thing’. Considering these developments, and the inevitability of adversaries taking advantage of them, this week’s Big Ask poses the following question to five experts: How should Britain respond to those with designs on its sovereign territory?”
Prof. Jamie Gaskarth, Dr Robert Johnson, Dr Alexander Lanoszka, Dr Danielle Reeder and James Rogers share their expert opinions.
