From the archive: The not-so-special relationship

America Explained

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

The British relationship with America has long been known, at least in Britain, as "the special relationship". But the election of Joe Biden has the British political class, particularly those most committed to Brexit, nervous. After four years of frequent praise and encouragement - if not much actual concrete assistance - from Donald Trump, they worry that Biden will prove much less sympathetic to Brexit and Britain in general.

In this episode, we look beyond the personal relationship between leaders to the fundamental shared interests which have defined Anglo-American ties since World War II. British leaders shouldn't worry so much about whether Biden's Irish heritage makes him anti-British, but much more about the ways in which Brexit is permanently reducing London's usefulness to Washington. But as we explore in this episode, the myths they have told themselves about the relationship often make an honest reckoning impossible.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe