It is often argued that foreign affairs is insignificant in deciding elections – this may well be true. The public will usually base their vote on bread and butter issues like the economy, health, education or crime. But it does have a measurable impact on confidence and trust in government.

The war in Iraq and our slow response to the Lebanon conflict did undermine our credibility and draw a backlash with the electorate and the international community. However, at the same time decisions such as creating the Department for International Development, the trebling of our aid budget and the international leadership we showed during the global financial crisis, all had an immensely positive impact on our reputation abroad.

Whether you call it the Jasmine Revolution or the Arab Spring, the recent events in north Africa and the Middle East are unprecedented. For the first time in history we have seen a generation of people empowered by the internet and the new age media of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, leading change in their country. It is a fantastic modern-day illustration of the importance of a free press, and the essence of innovation and technology in proving the age old saying attributed to Sir Francis Bacon that knowledge is power. 

It is also at its heart a classic example of the debate between sceptics and progressives. Sceptics who fear change, innovation and technology, and who want to hold them back from people as something that is dangerous for society. And progressives who want to promote new ideas and new technology, and harness them for the benefit of society. 

In response to what is happening in north Africa and the Middle East, the first thing the UK has to do is recognise its own changing status and the new role it has to play in the international community. 

We must put the support of fundamental human rights and a commitment to promoting basic universal values at the heart of our foreign policy. In doing so we should encourage democratic reform in the Middle East, because, as President Obama said a few days ago, it is our “responsibility … to do so. But at all times we must be careful not to force change. Yet, on its own this will not be enough unless we reignite the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stability in the wider Middle East are two sides of the same coin; we will never see stability in the Middle East unless and until we find a just resolution to this most enduring of conflicts. 

We need to reassess our own oil dependency and the nature of our relationships with Middle Eastern countries. According to the International Energy Agency, the world will need 60 per cent more energy in 2030 than it did in 2002. Instability in oil-rich countries, coupled with the facts that oil is becoming increasingly expensive and our own North Sea oil is depleting, is dictating the need for us to rely on a more diverse supply of energy. We must therefore enhance our global bargaining power and diversify our international relationships.

There is also an increased risk to security with the spread of nuclear technology, and an increased threat from cyberattacks. These will all pose direct threats to the UK and will require more international cooperation. 

In previous centuries the UK has relied on its economic and military might to assert its authority on the world stage. In the 21st century; with our economy waning and the emergence of the BRIC economies; and with a reduction in our military capability emphasised by a shambolic Strategic Defence and Security Review, the UK must rely on its intellectual might. 

The UK must focus on promoting best practice, leading in policy thought and strengthening international institutions. Tony Blair once said that the UK could act as bridge between the US and Europe. I believe that if the UK puts these talents to use it can act not only as a bridge between the West and the Arab world or between the developed and the developing world, but as a bridge connecting conflicting nations.

The key policy battles that lie ahead are the battles of: nationalists versus internationalists, sceptics versus progressives, and self-reliance versus globalisation. These are the three arguments the Labour party must win in order to deliver a more prosperous Britain, and a more safe and just world.