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Abstract

As interest in Tony Blair's legacy persists, this article investigates his impact on UK strategic culture. The first section revisits theoretical questions about the processes whereby elites can alter collectively held strategic beliefs in the face of changing security environments. The second section then shows how Blair articulated new strategic beliefs that differed from pre-existing ones. These include embracing a broader understanding of security that recognises the impact of globalisation, and proposing that a proactive military posture was a more appropriate response than inactivity. To evaluate his impact, the third section demonstrates how these propositions were shared within collective elite circles and now shape the strategic thought of successive governments in written form through key policy documents, as well as in spoken form by cabinet ministers.

Keywords

British strategic culture Tony Blair globalisation's security implications risk calculus

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‘What did New Labour Ever Do for Us?’ Evaluating Tony Blair's Imprint on British Strategic Culture

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