Why can’t we be ‘special’ friends?

Winston Churchill has a plethora of wise quotations to his name, but senior politicians and the general public need to stop treating every word the man said as sacrosanct. He might have inspired a nation, but he did also utter some nasty things about Hindus and gassing primitive tribes in the Middle East. The notion of a ‘special relationship’ between America and the UK which he introduced in 1946 should be treated with similar caution. This has been somewhat attempted by both David Cameron and Barack Obama’s efforts to rebrand the diplomatic relationship as being ‘essential’ rather than ‘special’.

Since Obama’s state visit, the ‘special relationship’ has been one of the hot topics of discussion. Don’t get me wrong, the relationship at one point was truly special – one need only resurrect images such as the Normandy Landings to justify this. But if you simply juxtapose the declining global influence of the British with the emergence of India, China, Brazil et al, it is apparent why, to name but one of many instances, Gordon Brown was repeatedly snubbed at the United Nations in 2009 by the President.

‘Essential’ is a much more apt term to describe the alliance. ‘Essential’ discards any of the romantic notions that permeated the corridors of Whitehall, and replaces it with a more pragmatic framework. The traditional imbalances of power and authority will still remain, and questions of who needs whom more will still be asked. The answers, though, will also remain embarrassingly simple.

Post-war British foreign policy has always been underlined with the need to closely align itself with the Americans. Only then will Britain’s voice be slightly louder than the rest. The relationship is ‘essential’ for any expansionist British Prime Minister and is only a pleasant bonus for any incumbent in the White House. It is rumoured to have been the case that after the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, the President made two phone calls: one to his predecessor and subsequently one to David Cameron. Surely this must make us special? I’m afraid not.

It seems appropriate that as British and American soldiers form the largest components of the Coalition in Afghanistan, Cameron was notified immediately. America and Britain have long been military allies, and some might say that this alone is something special. Britain shares copious amounts of intelligence, allows Americans use of domestic bases and relies heavily on the US for its nuclear programme.

But the truth is that such is the might of the American military, that they can legitimately afford to undertake any mission unilaterally. They prefer to have a sidekick to add greater diplomatic credibility to their endeavours and to reinforce their image as a reluctant superpower. Conversely, it is clear with the case of Libya that if Britain or any European country decides to flex its muscles on the world stage, a special plea has to be made to Uncle Sam for assistance. There is nothing ‘special’ about this; it is merely _realpolitik_ draped in pictures of barbeques, table tennis matches and fancy banquets.

It is now common knowledge that American diplomats are reminded prior to any transatlantic voyage to affectionately rub our tummies by mentioning the specialness of our friendship. Outside of the political realm, every year on St. Patrick’s day, the rivers that run through Chicago are dyed green – a nice gesture from the Irish-Americans. But I believe it’s safe to say that on St. George’s day, Americans aren’t roaming around with a pasty from Greggs in one hand bellowing ‘God save our gracious Kate Middleton’.

Britain is a worthwhile ally to America, and Obama was not exaggerating when he proclaimed that as our two countries have courageously helped shaped the conditions of the present day, they will continue to meet the challenges of the 21st century. But to carry on utilising the term ‘special’ connotes images of brandy-sipping leaders of by-gone eras mulling over world affairs, which are irrelevant in today’s multilateral global arena. Like Christopher Meyer said, ‘We don’t need tears of sentimental warmth.’ Amicable business-like camaraderie is now more appropriate.

I will concede my position when the Prime Minister of this country can emulate Benjamin Netanyahu in figuratively sticking two fingers up at a proposal from the White House, only to then give a speech to a drooling congress and command two dozen standing ovations. That relationship is ‘special’. Britain’s is just ‘essential’.