Successive post-War British governments - in my view rightly - recognised that the interests of the United Kingdom and the United States tended to be pretty similar.  Not identical.  But rarely miles apart.

With a common heritage, and similar economic interests in free trade, it has generally suited us both to try to do things together.  In the two decades since the Berlin Wall came down, it's also my view that the case for Anglo-American cooperation has grown stronger.

I can see why it suits us to work with the US, but I'm starting to have serious doubts about what's in it for the US;

The fight against global terror?  Britain has just released someone convicted of murdering 270 innocent citizens - one of the biggest pre-September 11th outrages.

Ally in Europe?  The UK's foreign policy establishment are signed up Euro-weenies (or at least they've signed the rest of us up).  And anti-Americanism is a defining feature of that Euro club. 

Military ally?  We've so under invested in our armed forces they're stretched in Afghanistan to the point that the US has had to wade in.

Economic ally?  Post-credit crunch, the UK has lost the dynamism it rediscovered a generation ago.  Besides, with Brussels in charge of trade policy, there's no one in Britain really worth speaking to.

Diplomatic friend?  I'm not sure many people in government have any real vision of Britain's role in the world.  The certainties of the Cold War world have been replaced by vague irresolution.  

Rebuilding trans Atlantic relations must be a priority for any new government.  And that must start by ensuring we are once again the sort of country with which one would want to have special relations.


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