Brexit and Anglo-Australian Defence policy: back to the future?

This paper analyses the politics and policy of the defence relationship between Australia and the UK in the context of Britain's recent decision to leave the EU. It focuses on the political systems, interaction of political leaders, and narratives of Australia, the UK and nations of the Indo-Pacific region that relate to the defence and security relationship between the UK and Australia.

The paper argues that Brexit is not an opportunity to reverse history, and that the concept of an 'Anglosphere' has been consigned to the past and cannot be resurrected. Rather, the challenge will be to exploit the changes Brexit will bring in ways that are beneficial to the Anglo-Australian relationship, which potentially include a free-trade deal and enhanced support to the Five Power Defence Arrangements, as well as buttressing mutual interests in a range of other bilateral and multilateral issues.

This paper was also published in the Indo-Pacific Strategic Digest series.

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