Welcome to In Conversation, the regular podcast of InCompass. Go to InCompass-HiphoneEurope.com for free access to all our podcast to date.

This is Paul Adamson. I'm in conversation with Professor Amelia Hatfield.

Amelia Hatfield is the head of the Department of Politics and

Director of the Centre of Britain and Europe at the University of Surrey. Amelia, we're going to

talk about something I know which is very close to your heart and a rather neglected area in the

Brexit debate, namely the whole issue of UK foreign and security policy post-Brexit. I think

you and I both agree that the debate maybe has been over-dominated

maybe until now about the economics of Brexit and even now as we move into the phase two,

potentially phase two part of the whole Brexit saga. Even then we're talking about trade relations

and those kind of matters. So I'm curious to know your take on the foreign security policy

aspect. First of all, do you think that the powers

that be, certainly on the UK government side, are paying sufficient attention to the whole issue

of foreign security policy in a potential post-Brexit world? No, I don't think they've given it

a clear and even a short-term consideration, quite apart from a long-term consideration,

you're quite right that I think trade has dominated for the most part.

And that's obviously to try to square away the economic and financial relationship that Britain

is naturally going to have with the European Union.

But that's wound up being rather more difficult and rather more protracted perhaps than anybody

could have guessed, although anybody who's a trade expert might have said, well, I could have

told you that.

And as a result, I think some major topics have just literally fallen off the table, they've fallen

off the agenda.

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