We need to accept that the US doesn't care about the 'special relationship' - Independent

3/12/2017

We need to accept that the US doesn't care about the 'special relationship'

The UK overestimates the power of the so-called special relationship Reuters

Your editorial said it all: “The UK’s obsession with the ‘special relationship’.”

I have lived in America for 35 years and I have US citizenship, but never once have I heard an American mention the “special relationship”. A lot of them would have trouble locating the UK on a map. I feel sure that American politicians coming to Britain are carefully briefed on it beforehand – and we should be grateful to The Donald for his outspokenness. As someone said during Tony Blair’s reign, it’s the special relationship between a poodle and his master.

Anyone seriously concerned about our “sovereignty” should be looking across the Atlantic. The fact that we had no difficulty entering into these Brexit negotiations is a good indication that, in that direction, our sovereignty is intact; but we kowtow to the US like the client state that we have become.

We must, as a nation, give up our fantasies before we completely destroy ourselves. We must return to reality and leave Theresa May in Looking Glass Land where she is attempting to emulate the Red Queen and believe three impossible things before breakfast. We need to leave behind those who think that, as soon as we are out of the EU, we will see the glories of the British empire appear on the horizon. We are a small nation on the edge of Europe, but with many gifted people – including all the immigrants, who could take us forward with the right support.

John Day

Bristol

Bring on the Trump visit

At the first suggestion of a visit to this country by Donald Trump, I was wholly opposed to rolling out all our state paraphernalia for this appalling man.

Now I say bring it on – let’s just make sure the only people he meets are representatives of the people he has insulted, denigrated and demonised. The only concern is that he won’t be able to stay here long enough.

David Maddison

Uxbridge

A delicious irony

What a delicious irony there is in the European Council President’s warning this week: “EU will refuse UK’s Brexit demands if Ireland is not happy with plans for border, says Donald Tusk”.

Nearly 100 years after it was partitioned by the British government, Ireland could conceivably veto Britain’s advance to the next phase of the Brexit discussions if insufficient progress has been made on the key question of how Britain plans to avoid re-establishing a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Third Home Rule Bill enabling self-government for all 32 Irish counties reached the statute books, complete with King George V’s royal assent, as the Government of Ireland Act 1914, on 18 September 1914 – at the same time as legislation suspending Home Rule until the end of the First World War. The Government of Ireland Act 1914 was never implemented and, seven years after its passage, Ireland was partitioned.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar wants written assurances that Brexit will not reintroduce watchtowers, turrets and checkpoints along what would become the new EU border with the UK. Given past history, is this “pure politicking” as Nigel Dodds, the DUP deputy leader, says? Or just pure prudence?

Denis Lyons

London

Americans stand with the UK citizens who oppose a Trump visit

A note from one US citizen to all the Brits who voiced their outrage about a UK visit by the lunatic Trump may not account for much. But, I promise, there are many, many Americans who are smiling about what you did! If only we could make him go away, too.

Stephen Maynard

Texas

A banking partnership is needed

Why don’t the banks and the Post Office join together to form high street financial “hubs”? They could have staff trained to support customers to contact their own bank with online and mobile banking, a full range of post office services, maybe a Credit Union presence and even CAB or similar. There are plenty of empty premises on our struggling high streets, and it would mean some jobs at least for the redundant, costs shared and an opportunity to provide advice for the financially struggling.

Oh, and I wouldn’t have to queue in a sandwich shop to buy my stamps.

Margaret Adams

Keighley

Theresa May must put more pressure on Saudi Arabia over Yemen

On Wednesday, Theresa May met with the Saudi ruler King Salman.

The previous day, she told reporters she would be demanding an immediate end to the blockade of Yemen.

Yet, according to her press office, she left the meeting with nothing more than an agreement that “they would take forward more detailed discussions on how this could be achieved” at some unspecified point in the future.

Meanwhile, 130 children starve to death with every day that passes.

Theresa May and her ministers consistently justify the weapons and support they give the Saudis and discuss the supposed “influence” that they have. If she really has this influence, she must use it to end the blockade now. If not, she should admit she has none and stop selling the weapons. Of course, morally speaking, she should do both these things, but even by her own repugnant logic she cannot continue to do neither.

Dan Glazebrook