Editing Gordon Brown (section)

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Gordon Brown troop visit.jpg|thumb|right|Brown meets British troops during a visit to Basra, 2007]]
[[File:Obama, Prince Charles, Brown, Harper & Sarkozy at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial 2009-06-06.JPG|thumb|US President [[Barack Obama]], [[Prince Charles]], Brown, Canadian Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] and French President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] arrive at the Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery to attend a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the [[D-Day landings]] in Normandy, 6 June 2009.]]
Brown had been committed to the [[Iraq War]], but said in a speech in June 2007 that he would "learn the lessons" from the mistakes made in Iraq.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=George |date=12 June 2007 |title=The subtle shift in British foreign policy |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1554223/Brown-in-Baghdad-with-%27lessons-to-learn%27.html |url-status=dead |access-date=23 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206123045/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1554223/Brown-in-Baghdad-with-%27lessons-to-learn%27.html |archive-date=6 December 2008}}</ref> Brown said in a letter published on 17 March 2008 that the United Kingdom would hold [[Iraq Inquiry|an inquiry into the war]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Grice |first1=Andrew |last2=Morris |first2=Nigel |date=17 March 2008 |title=There will be a public inquiry into Iraq, says Brown |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/there-will-be-a-public-inquiry-into-iraq-says-brown-796851.html |access-date=19 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418111920/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/there-will-be-a-public-inquiry-into-iraq-says-brown-796851.html |archive-date=18 April 2010}}</ref>

Brown went to great lengths to empathise with those who lost family members in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He has often said "War is tragic", echoing Blair's quote, "War is horrible".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dougary, Ginny |author-link=Ginny Dougary |date=10 April 2010 |title=What Gordon Brown is really thinking |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/gordon-brown-interview-the-election-blair-and-family-life-wng67z7zg83 |access-date=27 April 2010 }}</ref> Nonetheless, in November 2007 Brown was accused by some senior military figures of not adhering to the [[Military Covenant]], a convention within British politics ensuring adequate safeguards, rewards and compensation for military personnel who risk their lives in obedience to orders derived from the policy of the elected government.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 November 2007 |title=Renew the Military Covenant |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-renew-the-military-covenant--in-full-399856.html |url-status=live |access-date=11 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206110745/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-renew-the-military-covenant--in-full-399856.html |archive-date=6 December 2008}}</ref>

Brown did not attend the opening ceremony of the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] on 8 August 2008 in [[Beijing]]; instead, he attended the closing ceremony on 24 August 2008. Brown had been under intense pressure from human rights campaigners to send a message to [[China]], concerning the [[2008 Tibetan unrest]]. His decision not to attend the opening ceremony was not an act of protest, but rather was made several weeks in advance and not intended as a stand on principle.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 April 2008 |title=PM not attending Olympics opening |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7339580.stm |url-status=live |access-date=19 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417112037/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7339580.stm |archive-date=17 April 2008}}</ref>

In a speech in July 2007, Brown clarified his position regarding Britain's relationship with the [[United States]]:<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 July 2007 |title=Speech not critical of US&nbsp;– Brown |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6896797.stm |url-status=live |access-date=14 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819034852/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6896797.stm |archive-date=19 August 2007}}</ref> "We will not allow people to separate us from the United States of America in dealing with the common challenges that we face around the world. I think people have got to remember that the special relationship between a British prime minister and an American president is built on the things that we share, the same enduring values about the importance of liberty, opportunity, the dignity of the individual. I will continue to work, as [[Tony Blair]] did, very closely with the American administration."

Brown and the Labour party had pledged to allow a referendum on the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe|Constitutional Treaty]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Labour Party manifesto 2005 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/13_04_05_labour_manifesto.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307110101/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/13_04_05_labour_manifesto.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2008 |page=82}}</ref> On 13 December 2007, [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]] [[David Miliband]] attended for the Prime Minister at the official signing ceremony for the [[Treaty of Lisbon]]. Brown's opponents on both sides of the House, and in the press, suggested that ratification by Parliament was not enough and that a referendum should also be held. Labour's 2005 manifesto had pledged to give the British public a referendum on the original [[EU Constitution]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Elliott |first=Francis |date=23 October 2007 |title=Gordon Brown attacked on all sides for 'running away' from referendum |work=[[The Times]] |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2718086.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=23 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007162634/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2718086.ece |archive-date=7 October 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 October 2007 |title=Cameron attacks Brown on EU vote |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7023458.stm |url-status=live |access-date=15 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021083951/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7023458.stm |archive-date=21 October 2007}}</ref> Brown argued that the Treaty significantly differed from the Constitution, and as such did not require a referendum. Most notably the Supremacy Clause<ref>{{Cite web |title=EUR-Lex - 12004V006 - EN - EUR-Lex |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tcons_2004/art_6/oj/eng |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> was removed and replaced with a substantially weaker declaration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EUR-Lex - 12008E/AFI/DCL/17 - EN - EUR-Lex |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/lis_2008/fna_1/dcl_17/oj/eng |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> He also responded with plans for a lengthy debate on the topic, and stated that he believed the document to be too complex to be decided by referendum.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Elliott |first1=Francis |last2=Charter |first2=David |date=19 October 2007 |title=Battle of the EU treaty to last for months |work=[[The Times]] |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2687253.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=19 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012185235/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2687253.ece |archive-date=12 October 2008}}</ref>