John Bew
Senior Fellow
Policy Exchange is pleased to welcome Professor John Bew as a Senior Fellow for 2025.
Bew is a distinguished academic who has worked at the highest levels of government. He spent over five years as foreign policy adviser in No10 Downing Street, working for four Prime Ministers and through two general elections. He was closely involved in the last two UK national security strategies and the major foreign policy issues of that period, from AUKUS to the war in Ukraine. In 2021, Bew also served as an expert on the NATO Secretary General’s Reflections Group, which provided recommendations for the Alliance’s 2022 Strategic Concept.
Bew is currently Professor of History and Foreign Policy in the War Studies Department at King’s College London, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Senior Adviser at the Australian National Security College. He was the youngest ever holder of the Kissinger Chair at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and in 2015 he won the Leverhulme Prize for International Studies. Bew’s best-known work is his biography of Clement Attlee. He will contribute to a range of Policy Exchange projects, beginning with a public lecture on Ernest Bevin and his foreign policy legacy in the new year. From 2016-9, he led Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project as well as acting as a specialist advisor for the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.
Related News
Policy Exchange experts dominate MPs’ reading list
Two of Policy Exchange’s experts are among the most read authors in Parliament, a new Freedom of Information request has revealed. Road to Somewhere, by Policy Exchange’s Head of Demography, Immigration and Integration David Goodhart (longlisted for this year’s Orwell Prize) was the second most borrowed book in the House of Commons, behind only ‘How Parliament Works’. The Head of our Britain in the World Project Professor John Bew’s Orwell Prize-winning Citizen Clem was also one of the most borrowed books in the House of Commons in 2017. Both books were named last year by the Observer among their 100 best political books.
Policy Exchange's Professor John Bew named as Specialist Adviser to Commons Foreign Affairs Committee as it announces new inquiry into Global Britain
Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project, has been named as Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He will assist the Committee in its recently launched inquiry into “Global Britain”. To mark the appointment, Policy Exchange has produced a reading list of essential texts for anyone interested in Global Britain.
Policy Exchange’s John Bew says Britain was right to bet on America
Writing for CapX, Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project, concludes that Britain was right to bet on America
War on the Rocks interview Policy Exchange’s John Bew about the “special relationship”
War on the Rocks’ Ryan Evans interviews John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project — about the state of the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom as the presidency of Donald Trump unfolds.
New Statesman: Policy Exchange's John Bew discusses President Trump's 'declaration of war on so-called Davos Man'
John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project — argues that the left should 'take seriously' the joint goal of Donald Trump and Theresa May 'to put the interests of ordinary working people up there, centre-stage'
New Statesman: Policy Exchange's John Bew writes about the Prime Minister's dealings with America
John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project, contends that while 'the Prime Minister finds herself in a unique position for which history cannot provide much guidance', we should note 'the care with which she chooses her words and the deep thought that her advisers put into her every next step'.
In an article for CapX, Policy Exchange's John Bew discusses British foreign policy and the Prime Minister's Philadelphia speech
John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project — contends that 'a dose of realism is something that British foreign policy has needed for a while; and by being the first leader to visit the new American president, Theresa May has delivered a bucket full to her counterparts in European capitals'
New Statesman: John Bew considers the foreign policy implications of Trump's election
Writing in the New Statesman, Professor John Bew — head of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project — explains that 'the foreign policy course taken by the US remains of greater importance to the national security and national interest of the UK than that of any other state'
Maintaining our traditions as an activist humanitarian nation
Professor John Bew, writing for Save the Children, discusses Britain's humanitarian traditions and how they can be continued into the 21st century.
What Lessons From History Keep Being Forgotten?
John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project, responds to the World Policy Journal's question. He explains why 'a training in history remains the best education for those who aspire to change the world'.Related Publications
Remaking the Case for NATO
The UK cannot be complacent about the continuing existence of NATO: a world without the alliance would be even more fractious and less secure, while giving up on NATO would be “whimsical, reckless, self-harming and self-defeating”, argues a new Policy Exchange paper, Remaking the Case for NATO: Collective Security and the British National Interest ahead of this week's crucial summit in Brussels.
In Defence of Collective Security
As Putin celebrates another election victory, today’s Labour party should remember that there can be no coherent response to the Russian provocation without an appreciation of how our collective security is underscored by NATO and the role Labour played in its creation. In a new essay, In Defence of Collective Security, Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project and an award winning biographer of Clement Attlee, argues that our current system of Western security, based on NATO, was painstakingly put in place by Attlee and Ernest Bevin and that the current Labour leadership betrays that legacy.
Beyond Brexit: Essential reading on international affairs and security in a changing world
Policy Exchange is delighted to announce that Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project, has been appointed as a specialist adviser to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s inquiry into ‘Global Britain’. To mark that appointment, we publish a new reading list, Beyond Brexit: Essential reading on international affairs and security in a changing world, compiled by Professor Bew, Gabriel Elefteriu, Jamie Gaskarth and Patrick Porter.
Foreign Policy and National Security in the New Parliament
In a new report published last week, Policy Exchange stresses the vital role of Parliament in shaping debates about Britain’s place in the world, and urges the building of greater cross-party consensus on foreign policy. It stresses the role of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the context of a hung Parliament. The report was published alongside a new database of MPs’ voting records on key issues of national security since 2010, as well as their constituency positions on Brexit — the most detailed resource of its kind ever created. In a Foreword to the report, Tom Tugendhat MP, the new Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee said, 'Policy Exchange is at the forefront of new thinking about national security and the UK’s place in the world'. The report was covered in The Daily Mail.
UK Strategy in Asia: some starting principles
Following the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan last week, Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project publish a report by unit head John Bew and David Martin Jones, Visiting Fellow at Policy Exchange. They advise that Asia is of growing strategic importance to the UK’s long-term prosperity but this is likely to mean more involvement in the region’s security problems. The first principle of UK involvement in Asia must be to bolster existing alliances and to preserve the existing international order, but it must be understood that this is likely to cause tension when it comes to relations with China.
The UK and the Western alliance: NATO in the new era of realpolitik
A new paper from Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project, examining the future of NATO. The paper argues that current events, from Russian aggression to the EU’s internal politics, mean that NATO is weakening at a time when security challenges are growing
The Cost of Doing Nothing: The Price of Inaction in the Face of Mass Atrocities
This report is based on work begun by Jo Cox MP (1974-2016) and Tom Tugendhat MP. It was completed by Alison McGovern MP and Tom Tugendhat MP “There are few more complex questions than when to intervene overseas. Jo Cox was an inspirational humanitarian who cared deeply about preventing violence and protecting people around the world. It is a fitting part of Jo’s legacy that this paper will challenge politicians of all parties to consider how we can put such considerations at the heart of the decisions we take.” (Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Prime Minister.
Making Sense of British Foreign Policy After Brexit
Making Sense of British Foreign Policy After Brexit argues that the UK should use Brexit as an opportunity to adopt a more proactive global foreign policy, enhance its defence profile, and re-imagine relations with key allies.Related Blogs
The collective action to Russia was in part a result of the UK's firm unilateral response
Policy Exchange's Professor John Bew, whose essay on the Skripal affair was discussed on the Today programme, argues that the UK's initial response to Russian aggression paved the way to wider, collective action.
The new US National Security Strategy: implications for UK National Security Policy
Reviewing Lt Gen McMaster’s keynote speech at Policy Exchange’s Anglo-American conference, Professor John Bew highlights how the new American National Security Strategy will refocus on ‘competitive engagement’, providing support for friendly countries on America’s security frontier while requesting greater ‘reciprocity’ from US allies. Professor Bew also suggests how this should be interpreted by the UK’s ongoing Capability Review.
The return of the internationalists? Unpacking Labour's position on foreign policy.
Last week, Chuka Umunna spoke to Chatham House in a much-needed intervention on the state of British foreign policy. In recent years, the British foreign policy debate has not kept up with the pace of global political and economic change. For that reason alone, there was much to commend in Umunna’s sense of urgency. To adapt to the challenges of the twenty-first century, as he put it, “we need to look ahead and develop a proper national strategy on the basis of a clear understanding of what our interests are”.
US House of Representatives reaffirms bipartisan commitment to NATO’s Article 5: Could the UK Parliament follow suit?
John Bew and Gabriel Elefteriu of Policy Exchange's Britain in the World project reflect on President Trump's firmest yet statement on Article 5 — NATO’s collective-defence clause which holds that an attack on one member is an attack on all. They point out that this is a commitment that has been made after lengthy manoeuvrings both within the Administration and on Capitol Hill; and conclude by asking whether a similar resolution might pass the House of Commons.
Merkel’s harsh words on Brexit played to her German audience – but the UK should still take note
Germans have elections, too. It was at a campaign event in Bavaria that the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, made a statement that has been interpreted as having grave implications for the cohesiveness of the Euro-Atlantic alliance. “The times in which we could totally rely on others are to some extent over, as I have experienced in the past two days,” she said, referring to both Donald Trump and Brexit. “We […]
After the general election, we need to re-define our national interest for a changing world
John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project — argues that as the world changes around us, Britain needs a serious debate about what constitutes its national interest that goes beyond the Brexit negotiations
Why Jeremy Corbyn is not part of the Clement Attlee internationalist tradition within Labour
John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project — reflects on Jeremy Corbyn’s recent Chatham House speech, and how the Labour leader is not part of the 'noble tradition of liberal internationalism [that] has pumped blood to the heart of the Labour Party since its foundation and is an essential part of the Labour story'.
Britain's voters are united on defence – now the election should provide a bold vision for it
Writing in The Telegraph, Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project, argues that defence should be at the forefront of the election campaign
Why Donald Trump launched his air strike on Assad in Syria
In his new piece for the New Statesman, John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project — reflects on why Donald Trump launched his air strike on Assad in Syria
The Gibraltar row shows “the balance of power” is back in European affairs
Writing for the New Statesman, John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project — comments on the “diplomatic storm in a teacup” that has erupted over Gibraltar
NATO has an EU problem as well as a Trump problem: What role can Britain play in helping mend the alliance?
Writing in The Telegraph, Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project and Gabriel Elefteriu, Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Research Fellow, ask what Britain can do to fix the fact that Nato is under threat from the EU and Donald Trump
H R McMaster: The philosopher general who could tame Trump
In his latest piece for the New Statesman, John Bew — Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World project — examines the major challenges facing the new US national security adviser