At a glance
Restore Britain says British interests should decide every foreign policy question, from military aid to deploying the armed forces. It would end foreign aid that does not serve those interests, rearm the military and use diplomatic and economic pressure to make countries take back their nationals.
Key points
- Judge every decision, from military aid to troop deployments, by the interests of the British people
- Scrap foreign aid that does nothing to advance British interests
- Rebuild and rearm the armed forces, sparing defence from a proposed spending freeze
- Remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) targets from the Ministry of Defence
- Use visa bans, aid cuts, tariffs and remittance taxes against countries that refuse returns
- Leave the European Convention on Human Rights while seeking new border partnerships with the EU
- Create a Coastal Command able to reinforce the Royal Navy in wartime
Overview
“Put British Interests First” is the third of Restore Britain’s ten Objectives (opens in a new tab), published on 13 February 2026. It argues that too many in the political establishment are more interested in serving international institutions or foreign states than in pursuing Britain’s own interests, and says a Restore Britain government would end what it calls this “globalist approach”.
The Objective takes its guiding principle from the 19th-century statesman Lord Palmerston: “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual.” In practice, it says, the interests of the British people would come first on everything from military aid to the deployment of the armed forces.
The Objective page is short and the party has not yet published a dedicated foreign policy paper. Other official documents fill in the picture on aid, defence and how diplomacy would support its immigration and mass deportation plans.
How it would work
Foreign aid
The Objective says all forms of foreign aid that do nothing to advance Britain’s national interests would be scrapped. The party’s economy Objective, Reward the Nation’s Grafters (opens in a new tab), goes further, listing “ending foreign aid” among its savings alongside cutting waste and ending benefits for foreign nationals.
Aid is also treated as leverage. Under the immigration Objective (opens in a new tab), countries that refuse to take back their offenders or illegal migrants would face aid cancellation, visa suspensions and remittance taxes.
Defence and the armed forces
The Objective promises to “rebuild and rearm Britain”, adding: “We will have a big stick, and we will wave it whenever we see fit to do so.” It says the British Army has shrunk by 40% since 2010, to around 70,000 soldiers. The party’s economic plan, The Wealth of Our Nation (opens in a new tab), exempts defence, along with health and debt interest, from a proposed three-year freeze on most departmental budgets.
The party would remove every trace of DEI from government, starting with the Ministry of Defence, citing past controversies over RAF recruitment. The Objective also says Army recruitment should focus on what it calls “the native majority”.
Diplomacy in support of border control
The Mass Deportations paper (opens in a new tab) proposes visa bans, aid cuts and tariffs against countries that refuse to accept returns, a tax on remittances sent to them, and a “NATO-like coalition” of Western nations applying the same pressure. It also calls for new third-country processing agreements.
The party’s Red List would assess countries on criteria that include hostility in foreign policy, with nationals of listed countries facing tougher visa rules and higher barriers to entry.
International law and Europe
The Mass Deportations paper concludes that Britain should withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and remove references to the 1951 Refugee Convention from UK law. In the longer term it wants a new international norm under which refugees seek asylum on their own continent.
It argues that leaving the ECHR would not breach Britain’s post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU, while accepting that non-trade areas such as criminal justice cooperation could be affected, and calls for new partnerships with the EU on border security.
Maritime security and the Royal Navy
The September 2026 paper Restoring Britain’s Maritime Domain (opens in a new tab) argues that the Royal Navy exists to deter and defend against military threats and should not be routinely diverted to border work. A new civilian Coastal Command would take on peacetime maritime enforcement, and in war or a national-defence emergency designated parts of it would come under Royal Navy operational control.
The paper also says a forthcoming National Security Strategy will set the framework for border security, with an integrated strategy beneath it covering land, air and sea borders.
See our Coastal Command explainer for the proposed service structure, rollout timetable and additional running costs.
Questions and answers
Would Restore Britain end foreign aid?
Its economy Objective lists “ending foreign aid” among its savings, and the foreign policy Objective says aid that does nothing to advance British interests would be scrapped. Aid would also be cut to countries that refuse to take back their nationals.
What is Restore Britain's position on defence?
It wants to rebuild and rearm the armed forces, remove DEI targets from the Ministry of Defence and protect the defence budget from its proposed freeze on departmental spending. It argues the Royal Navy should focus on defending the country rather than policing the Channel.
Would Restore Britain leave the ECHR?
Yes. Its Mass Deportations paper concludes that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and repealing the Human Rights Act are necessary for large-scale removals. See mass deportation for the detail.
Has Restore Britain set out positions on Ukraine, the Middle East or NATO?
Its published Objective does not address specific conflicts or alliances. It sets a general test, that British interests come first, and the party says a National Security Strategy is still to come.
What would happen to countries that refuse to take back deportees?
They would go on the party’s Red List and face visa suspensions, remittance taxes, aid cancellation and diplomatic pressure, according to the immigration Objective. The Mass Deportations paper adds tariffs and a coalition of Western countries applying the same measures.
Further reading
Sources
Restore BritainOfficial
Mass Deportations: Legitimacy, Legality and Logistics (opens in a new tab)Published
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