US Edition The special relationship, a special relationship, or just the normal kind of relationship you would expect between allies? That is the question posed by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in its report on Anglo-American ties published yesterday. It concludes, coyly, that the first of these characterisations, coined by Winston Churchill more than 60 years ago, is best avoided in favour of the second as a true description of an "ever-evolving" phenomenon.
The invasion of Iraq casts a shadow over the committee's findings, the assumption being that Tony Blair played "poodle" to George W Bush. Rather, flushed with liberal interventionist successes in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, the Prime Minister was just as gung-ho as the President, choosing to overlook the lack of a coherent plan for occupation in his rush to topple Saddam Hussein. The domestic opposition to that decision can still be felt, notably through the Chilcot Inquiry. Meanwhile, a man who opposed the invasion has captured the White House. It is, therefore, not surprising that the committee should warn against presuming that America views its relationship with Britain in the same way as politicians and the media are wont to do here, and should encourage the Government to be less deferential to Washington.
In fact, the relationship can be characterised in all three of the ways mentioned above. The first is illustrated by Britain's unique dependence on America for its ultimate deterrent, the Trident missile system. To that must be added co-operation in the field of intelligence, made all the more vital by the Islamist outrages of 9/11 and 7/7. The second can be seen in Afghanistan, where the British presence is second only to the American, and Britons fill the posts of both deputy commander of the Nato-led force and the alliance's senior civilian representative. It is also apparent in the deep historical and cultural ties between the two countries, which come from a common language. Beyond that, the relationship is more like the links between America and other close allies, such as Germany or Japan, whether on matters economic, ecological or nuclear. The special relationship first proclaimed in 1945 has proved durable, but neither country should take it for granted. In his submission to the committee, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former UN ambassador and special envoy in Iraq, described it as "an asset that has to be nurtured and worked ate_SLps We do not think it special unless we are introducing substance to make it special". That gets it right – and leaves room for honest disagreement amongst old friends.