The country is at something of a crossroads: A strategic defense review after the election could decide whether it continues to act as a close partner of the United States in military operations abroad or retreats to a lesser role.

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.

While few see any evidence of an actual rivalry between the two sides, it's possible that the combined damage to the relationship caused by the 2003 Iraq War and then the global financial crisis in 2008 has altered the way the major players view each other.