/library/oar/handle/123456789/104256 Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:39:23 GMT 2025-12-21T08:39:23Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/94163 Title: Guest editorial introduction : overseas territories & Crown Dependencies : what future in ‘Global Britain’? Authors: Benwell, Matthew C.; Clegg, Peter; Harmer, Nichola; Pinkerton, Alasdair Abstract: Brexit has caused a big shift in the geo-political outlook of the United Kingdom (UK). An early statement of intent is the ‘Global Britain’ agenda. Within this context the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are often overlooked. However, they have been both impacted by Brexit and potentially offer real opportunities for a more outward facing UK. This Introduction to the special section explores the extent to which the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have lost out due to Brexit across a range of issues, although perhaps not to the extent originally expected. It also considers how both sets of territories might be able to contribute to realising the Global Britain agenda. However, it is not yet fully formed and the UK and several Overseas Territories are exposed due to the contested sovereignties of the latter. The Introduction concludes by discussing the six papers featured in the special section and how they prompt a range of questions for future research. Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/94163 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/94162 Title: The impact of Brexit on the identity of small British-European nations Authors: Brandtjen, Roland Abstract: This paper considers an under-explored impact of the Brexit process, namely its effect on the collective identities of Small British-European Nations (SBENs). We hypothesize that, not only might economic and political issues be important consequences of Brexit, but so might changes in regional, national and European identities. This has major implications for various policy areas, including the relationship of SBENs with the European Union (EU) and Europe more generally, and their efforts to attain autonomy and independence. Quantitative data is used to analyze public opinion on this topic. Findings suggest that British and European identities are more likely to be statements of protection. Brexit seems to affect value perceptions towards Europe, the EU, and the United Kingdom. However, collective identities based on cultural factors seem to be less affected by the Brexit process. Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/94162 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/94161 Title: UK state identity-making and British overseas territories’ environments in times of ecological crisis and geopolitical change Authors: Harmer, Nichola; Bailey, Ian; Hart, Naomi Abstract: Analysis of state identity constructions can provide important insights into the ideologies, values, ambitions and policies of influential state actors. Existing research on state identities has focused mainly on how such identities are constructed and utilised within domestic politics or conventional inter-state/international relations but limited attention has been paid to how states construct their identities in relation to, and through, overseas territories that occupy liminal positions of sovereignty. This article addresses this gap by investigating how state actors have discursively constructed the UK’s identities through the lens of environmental protection in the UK’s overseas territories. It analyses UK parliamentary debate between 2010 and 2018, identifying how territory environments were enrolled in the production of multiple state identities, representing differing spatial imaginaries of the UK, its power and responsibilities at a time of environmental crisis and the search to define the UK’s post-Brexit status and roles. This shape-shifting capacity underscores how states may draw on a multiplicity of personas in response to different circumstances that become particularly noticeable where uncertainty and ambiguity exist around the ethics, power relations and responsibilities involved in relations with overseas territories in an ostensibly postcolonial era. Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/94161 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/94160 Title: Questioning the current status of the British Crown Dependencies Authors: Bosque, Maria Mut Abstract: The status of the Crown Dependencies’ (CDs) is the result of a firmly consolidated historical and political relationship with the United Kingdom. In this sense, certainly, there is no official request for a status change neither by these territories nor by the UK. Moreover, there has never been a questioning of their status by the international community. Hence, there has been no need to discuss the change of these territories’ status until the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit). In this sense, Brexit has set a precedent for future decisions on the international stage, which could have even more serious consequences for these territories. Likewise, the CDs have expressed their wish to continue developing their self-government, particularly at the international level. A simple updating of their current status could be enough to address some of their requests and needs, but there are other issues that cannot be solved by a simple update and entail a change of status. Now that the UK’s post-Brexit strategy is precisely a ‘global Britain’, it is necessary to address the future and place of these territories in a global UK. This paper proposes a possible alternative to the current status, which better adapts to the UK’s new challenges of the 21st century, particularly in the post-Brexit age. At the same time, the proposed status in this paper preserves their legal peculiarities, handles all their requests, and respects their historical ties with the British Crown. Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/94160 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z