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

Abstract

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.