Professor Ray Murphy:

We have established, over many decades, a reputation as a country that has a different history from that of most other European states, including our past as a British colony. We have managed to develop significant relationships with other states, especially those on the African continent but also in the Americas and Asia. That reflects our history, our tradition of military neutrality, our non-membership of NATO and our support for UN multilateralism and the United Nations framework for the resolution of all forms of disputes. On a personal note, through my career, I have travelled extensively and worked in Africa and the Middle East. It has always surprised me how familiar and knowledgeable people are about our foreign policy and role. That is something that is very hard to create but very easy to destroy.