Gone are the days when America hated England for overtaxing the colonies and England hated America for hating England. No, now we all get along and trade, form international organizations together and split custody of Hugh Laurie. We’ve even set up some sort of bizarre exchange program where we get David Beckham for some Prince concerts.
But perhaps the biggest sign of the trans-Atlantic love is Tony Blair and his unlikely friendship with George W. Bush. The two leaders have become good buddies and close allies. But Blair recently announced that he will be stepping down in late June, a move that has repercussions in the United States.
Blair came to power as the head of the New Labour (Labor in America) Party and quickly got the public behind him. He billed himself as a cool guy, a young alternative to the stodgy old politicians that roamed Parliament’s halls. He prioritized education, but also proposed fresh economic policies. The British elected him in a landslide in 1997.
His “cool guy” image continued when he took office. Anyone who saw The Queen will remember that he totally talked about Queen Elizabeth behind her back and mocked her formalities. The women who were elected to Parliament along with him were cheekily referred to as “Blair’s Babes,” a less-cool version of Grady’s Ladies. And Blair even took time out of office to lend his voice to an episode of The Simpsons.
Still, his huge popularity (it almost reached 70 percent at times) was mostly due to his strong policies. He introduced and upped the minimum wage and helped London’s economy boom. He revealed himself a strong leader and unifier of the people (see: that whole “people’s princess” thing after Princess Diana died).
He also made close friends with Presidents Clinton and Bush. Britain and the U.S. became close allies, especially in the foreign policy realm. Blair has particularly latched onto America following September 11, when he delivered yet another stirring speech and got the people behind him. He and Bush became the best of friends, despite the fact that their political affiliations (Blair aligns himself with the Left) and speaking styles (Blair is able to speak in public without embarrassing himself) could hardly be more different. The two made such good companions that reporters would even say Blair could explain Bush’s plans better than Bush could.
With the public rallying behind him and Bush at his side, Blair was able to join the U.S. in the Iraq war, becoming America’s biggest ally in the war. However, Blair, like Bush, hasn’t managed the war particularly well and refuses to match the public cries and withdraw all British troops, although he did draft a plan to withdraw a third of them. Under Blair, the British have continued sending troops, including a squadron with Prince Harry.
The war is about as popular in Britain as it is here, and Blair has suffered for it. His once-high approval ratings have dipped to 23 percent. Pundits both in and out of Britain are saying he is Bush’s poodle. Nelson Mandela even called him the “U.S. foreign minister,” and when Nelson Mandela is making fun of you, you know it’s bad.
And so it is with this criticism that Blair is stepping down. The likely successor to the post is Finance Minister Gordon Brown, Blair’s political ally. The new prime minister will probably bring a new attitude toward the U.S. Brown has already stated the likelihood that he will have a cooler relationship with Bush and has publicly acknowledged that mistakes had been made in Iraq. It’s probable that Brown will withdraw British forces from Iraq altogether to bring the public support back to the Labour Party.
That spells trouble for the U.S. We’re already undermanned and overworked in Iraq, so without the British there to help, it’s a lost cause. The cries for troop withdrawal will only grow stronger and Bush may have no choice but to concede to them soon. In losing Blair, the U.S. also loses a strong ally and friend in a world that has become increasingly hostile to us. Without Blair, the U.S. will have a tougher time abroad, which can only mean more turmoil at home.