Former foreign secretary David Miliband stated that Europe should maintain separate arrangements with the United States rather than pursue a complete break from the longstanding partnership, even amid strains caused by the current US administration. At the Hay literary festival, the ex-Labour minister and head of the International Rescue Committee argued against full strategic independence for Europe. He warned that such a move carried major risks and could leave the continent in a weaker position. Instead, he suggested practical steps like separate financial systems and greater European control over economic and defence matters. This includes choices on military equipment and advances in artificial intelligence, where digital independence remains complex. On climate policy, he stressed that Europe must lead without waiting for US alignment, citing both environmental and economic benefits. He also highlighted the need to boost prosperity and share it evenly to strengthen Europe’s political and military standing, noting the large gap in per capita output compared with the US. Fellow panellist Philippe Sands described the UK-US link as unbalanced, with Britain relying more heavily on Washington. He called for closer economic, political and military ties with the European Union and urged efforts to improve relations with France. Chair Misha Glenny pointed to Brexit as a warning to other EU states about the economic costs of regulatory divergence. Miliband advocated building broad agreement on the UK’s future EU stance and rejected the idea that closer ties would betray the 2016 referendum. He described the recent conflict involving Iran as causing a deeper rupture in the international order than the Iraq war, particularly between America and Europe.
