28 Oct 2021
Britain and Australia aren’t actually treaty allies – they should be
Only a formal deal will lock in the gains under AUKUS against future uncertainty.
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21 Oct 2021
Queen Elizabeth II: For Country and Commonwealth
From the Suez crisis to dicing with dictators – a steady reign spanning seven decades of constant global change. -
14 Oct 2021
AUKUS: Why Beijing didn’t go ballistic
China’s reaction was in words not deeds. Another high-profile case may have influenced its attitude. -
5 Oct 2021
In defence of AUKUS
This is not only about nuclear-powered submarines; it is about a strengthened US commitment to Australia. -
21 Sep 2021
AUKUS and the CPTPP: It’s all about China
Security deterrence is only one factor in the new and fast-moving geostrategic environment of the Indo-Pacific. -
20 Sep 2021
When you’re in a hole, stop digging: Australia and the nuke sub deal
By the time Canberra’s subs roll off the dock, their capabilities will be obsolete, and there are bigger threats, too. -
16 Sep 2021
How nuclear subs could transform Australia, its alliance and Asia
First thoughts on the consequences of a truly momentous decision. -
2 Sep 2021
Europe and the South China Sea
More warships in disputed waters may cause instability. But the presence of navies from afar sends a clear message, too. -
17 Aug 2021
UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt – not just for the good times
Britain’s renewed enthusiasm in Southeast Asia means, among other tasks, negotiating the idiosyncrasies of ASEAN. -
2 Jul 2021
Playing catch-up: Britain’s re-engagement with Southeast Asia
UK Foreign Secretary manages a mid-pandemic whistle-stop tour of Asian nations in a bid to promote “Global Britain”. -
24 Jun 2021
Australia sweeps the table in the UK trade deal
Tariff elimination on this scale through a free trade agreement is almost unprecedented. -
21 Jun 2021
Believing Biden
The US President has persuaded European allies of his values-based policy. But will such faith carry home? -
17 Jun 2021
Economic diplomacy: Trade deals for a fast-growing family
New ties with Britain to “right a historic wrong” but visa schemes for regional workers could generate another headache. -
17 May 2021
London and Hong Kong: Financial centres in parallel peril
Once mighty, two beacons of the modern global economy are shrouded by political clouds. -
25 Feb 2021
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Ensuring a consistent approach to the “rules” would make it that much harder for China to break them. -
15 Feb 2021
The power of example: America’s presence in Diego Garcia
US claims to upholding the rules-based order don’t square with its silence on Mauritian sovereignty in the Chagos. -
12 Feb 2021
Scottish independence and the implications for British defence
Breaking away from the UK would bring up some thorny issues – like what to do with nukes. -
21 Jan 2021
The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace
As internet domains go, .io is a money spinner. Would a change to the “British Indian Ocean Territory” cancel an asset? -
14 Jan 2021
A very British crisis
The ineptitude of the UK’s Covid response is on full display the moment you arrive in the country. -
23 Dec 2020
She won’t be right with “Australian-style” Brexit
If a no-deal option with the EU is so enviable, why is Australia cutting a deal right now? -
17 Dec 2020
A missed opportunity for the International Criminal Court
In declining to investigate possible UK war crimes in Iraq, the ICC has dealt a blow to victims and its own reputation. -
1 Dec 2020
The UK’s unwelcome foreign aid cut
Amid a pandemic and shifting geopolitics, the aid budget was a victim of its own size – and domestic pressures. -
15 Sep 2020
The “Australian solution” won’t fix Johnson’s Europe problem
Geography, reality and personality collide to undercut the British Prime Minister’s fantasy. -
8 Sep 2020
Islamic State’s new battleground – the courts
Two crucial cases at opposite ends of the earth will determine a government’s right to revoke citizenship of terrorists. -
27 Jul 2020
Five Eyes: Blurring the lines between intelligence and policy
Intelligence sharing is one thing. Aligning policy with the same brand risks making too exclusive a grouping. -
15 Jul 2020
Decolonise Diego Garcia: Why America should not fear Mauritius
Only a deal with Port Louis can put the future of the US base beyond question and preserve a crucial staging post. -
26 Jun 2020
Finding compromise in the Chagos Islands saga
The US base on Diego Garcia needn’t be an obstacle to a negotiated settlement of a longstanding sovereignty dispute. -
22 Jun 2020
Australia-UK trade agreement: Good, boring policy
A deal between two liberalised economies on opposite sides of the globe can only improve a small number of pain points. -
14 May 2020
Muddled messages as Britain seeks to stay alert
Confusion reigned as Covid-19 lockdown eased, complex guidance raising fears Boris Johnson had made another mistake. -
22 Apr 2020
Scotland: False note to cry freedom
Lockdown may have put independence talk into hibernation, yet not forever. Destroying Britain would be great for no one. -
7 Feb 2020
Brexit and the Pacific: Sink or swim?
Growing UK presence in the Pacific Islands aims to boost prosperity, but a range of factors could tip the balance. -
20 Dec 2019
Favourites of 2019: Babylon Berlin
A well-crafted look back at the Weimar Republic’s fragile democracy in 1929 shows how societies come apart at the seams. -
18 Dec 2019
Diego Garcia: Unnerving neighbours and raising ghosts
Competing claims to the Chagos Archipelago involve regional rivals, colonial history, and security concerns. -
11 Dec 2019
Australia’s stance on Diego Garcia dispute is increasingly untenable
A window is fast closing to resolve Mauritian claims to the Chagos archipelago and secure a crucial US base. -
5 Dec 2019
Diego Garcia: The costs of defending an Indian Ocean outpost
Australian support for Britain’s contentious Chagos sovereignty claim risks delegitimising its South China Sea policy. -
13 Nov 2019
In conversation: Weak parties, hollow politics, and democratic danger
Could a radical break with Asia be the cost of a growing dislocation of the political parties and the Australian public? -
24 Oct 2019
Brexit: “Do or die”
Boris Johnson swerves from “no deal” to “deal”, while a not-so-anonymous source steers the headlines in his favour. -
15 Oct 2019
Diplomatic immunity: Time to change the rules
A fatal road accident in the UK has again put a spotlight on potential abuse of a system intended to protect envoys. -
30 Aug 2019
Brexit: Deal or no deal
The clock is ticking, and a theatrical Boris Johnson is putting on a show of being prepared to go to the brink. -
21 Aug 2019
Houses divided
In Australia – and in a world in thrall to populists – political and business elites need to talk to each other. -
9 Aug 2019
“Security Brexit”: Johnson follows Trump in the Persian Gulf
The UK has made a premature break with what should be a collective response to a crisis in Europe’s near-abroad. -
24 Jul 2019
Boris wins his moment in the sun and may yet surprise us
<p>Unlike Trump, Johnson brings to the top job extensive government experience and a very different worldview.</p> -
22 Jul 2019
Tanker-for-tanker
Iran’s retaliation after an earlier tanker seizure should have been obvious, so why wasn’t Britain better prepared? -
17 Jun 2019
Yemen conflict: why a British court ruling could matter for Australia
A legal challenge over UK arms sales to Yemen combatants could put further pressure on Australia’s defence exports. -
4 Jun 2019
Superpower scrutiny at Shangri-La
The Chinese are finding they are now subject to the Spiderman rule: with great power comes great responsibility. -
24 May 2019
The last straw for Theresa May
Her great failure was to concede the withdrawal agreement flaws instead of championing it as a negotiating triumph. -
3 May 2019
Huawei reaches into Britain
A British minister’s harsh career lesson might also expose the Western mindset of perpetual technological superiority. -
12 Apr 2019
Julian Assange’s case is special, and no point pretending otherwise
Assange’s case, difficult as it is, unpleasant a character as he can appear, is still a test of Australian principles. -
1 Apr 2019
The greatest British political crisis of modern times
For all the talk, the Brexit debate has barely moved beyond how to get out of the EU, let alone tackle the big issues. -
26 Mar 2019
The strategic consequence of the Chagos Islands legal dispute
When Britain leased Diego Garcia to the US to become a Cold War military base, did it have sovereign rights to do so?