This may seem like an odd question for a political movement inspired by the infamous Boston Tea Party of December 1773, which helped spark the American Revolution against the rule of King George III. But as the hugely successful modern-day grassroots organisation threatens a new revolution on Capitol Hill this November, and may play a key role in ejecting Barack Obama from the White House in 2012, policy makers in London should be thinking about the positive implications for Anglo-American relations of a conservative-dominated, post-Obama era in the United States.
I’ve written extensively on how the Obama White House has been the most anti-British presidency since the Suez crisis of 1956, and predicted months before Obama’s election win that his leadership would be damaging for the US-British alliance. As I wrote back in July 2008 on the pages of The Sunday Telegraph:
Britain’s chattering classes should be careful what they wish for. Senator Obama promises change and a bold new course for the United States. The end result may be an America that looks away from Britain and erects higher barriers to trade and investment.
The special relationship has lasted over 60 years as the most powerful and successful partnership of modern times. Unfortunately it might not survive the next presidential election.
I will make another prediction here on the future of US-UK relations – the conservative revolution that is sweeping America, and which may transform the White House two years from now, offers the best hope for saving the future of the Special Relationship.