Gordon Brown and international policy

While Tony Blair was prime minister, his chancellor, Gordon Brown, was rarely associated with international policy in the mind of the public. Instead, Brown's interest in certain international policy areas was largely overlooked and he was instead linked in the mind of the public with domestic policy, while Blair, from 2001 onwards, was associated largely with Britain's relationships with international actors and large-scale military incursions in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, upon becoming prime minister, Brown's association with domestic policy was both a problem and an advantage. Prime ministers have to be seen as capable of dealing with all issues, including international policy, and widely experienced. This article will consider the ideology of Brown's international policy, and consider the key elements of Brown's views and his government's policies, towards international policy, both while chancellor and prime minister. It will focus on Brown's attitude towards global institutions such as the UN and NATO and his attitude towards international development.