Daily Politics from the New Statesman Should the phrase "special relationship" be banned?
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Mar 3, 2026 Ben Judah, journalist, author and ex-Foreign Office special adviser, offers sharp analysis on Anglo-American ties. He questions whether the phrase 'special relationship' still fits. He discusses US unpredictability under Trump, the erosion of bipartisan foreign-policy consensus, and why Britain might pivot toward deeper European and Franco-British cooperation.
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Starmer Rejecting Regime Change Marks A Different Path
- The UK should avoid echoing past leaders who automatically follow US military adventures.
- Ben Judah contrasts Keir Starmer's refusal to join offensive regime-change strikes with Tony Blair's Iraq-era alignment with the US.
Marco Rubio Left NATO Meeting To Take A Trump Call
- Meetings in Washington can change mid-conversation because of a single presidential call.
- Ben Judah recounts Marco Rubio leaving a NATO meeting to take a call from Donald Trump and returning with a different Ukraine policy.
Bipartisan Consensus In US Foreign Policy Has Collapsed
- The bipartisan US foreign policy consensus has eroded, making alliances less predictable.
- Judah traces changes from the Iran deal to Ukraine and Israel where policy flipped between administrations and became partisan.