Between role adaptation and contestation: The UK’s status as a nuclear weapon state after Brexit

TY - JOUR

T1 - Between role adaptation and contestation: The UK’s status as a nuclear weapon state after Brexit

AU - Dee, Megan

AU - Kienzle, Benjamin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

PY - 2023/4/8

Y1 - 2023/4/8

N2 - The UK’s status as a nuclear weapon-state has been an integral part of the UK’s role in international affairs. This article traces several role conceptions associated with the UK’s nuclear status, and analyses role adaptation and contestation before and after Brexit. While EU membership (and then Brexit) had little direct impact on the UK as a nuclear-weapon state, we can observe a growing tension between the UK’s role conceptions of a ‘responsible nuclear weapon state’ and ‘nuclear-armed power with a global reach’ since around the time of the 2016 Brexit referendum. The 2021 Integrated Review indicates that the UK’s role conception has shifted towards the latter. At the same time, domestic role contestation, also exacerbated by Brexit, has further challenged the UK’s nuclear status, deepening divisions between the UK and Scottish governments, and placing the UK’s reputation, as well as its future as a Union, on the line.

AB - The UK’s status as a nuclear weapon-state has been an integral part of the UK’s role in international affairs. This article traces several role conceptions associated with the UK’s nuclear status, and analyses role adaptation and contestation before and after Brexit. While EU membership (and then Brexit) had little direct impact on the UK as a nuclear-weapon state, we can observe a growing tension between the UK’s role conceptions of a ‘responsible nuclear weapon state’ and ‘nuclear-armed power with a global reach’ since around the time of the 2016 Brexit referendum. The 2021 Integrated Review indicates that the UK’s role conception has shifted towards the latter. At the same time, domestic role contestation, also exacerbated by Brexit, has further challenged the UK’s nuclear status, deepening divisions between the UK and Scottish governments, and placing the UK’s reputation, as well as its future as a Union, on the line.

KW - Integrated review

KW - Nuclear responsibility

KW - Nuclear weapons

KW - Role adaptation

KW - Role contestation

KW - Status

KW - AUKUS

KW - Brexit

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152009659&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1057/s41311-023-00463-7

DO - 10.1057/s41311-023-00463-7

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85152009659

SN - 1384-5748

JO - International Politics

JF - International Politics

ER -