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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Simon Tisdall

Britain has been paying a high price for Uncle Sam’s craziness. It’s time to turn to Europe

In this 7 December 1941 file photo released by the US  Navy, sailors stand among wrecked airplanes as they watch the explosion of the USS Shaw, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In this 7 December 1941 file photo released by the US Navy, sailors stand among wrecked airplanes as they watch the explosion of the USS Shaw, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Photograph: AP

America spells trouble for Britain. That’s undoubtedly true in the age of Trump – but maybe it’s always been so. The White House’s undisguised contempt for loyal allies in the UK and Europe necessitates a robust reciprocal rethink. How healthy – and desirable – is this partnership? Has it caused more problems than it’s worth?

Those, myself included, who throughout their professional lives have taken close transatlantic ties for granted, face some awkward questions. Is the US-UK “special relationship” an embarrassment, even a strategic liability? Today’s America is evidently not a trustworthy, disinterested friend. Was it ever?

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