View in browser

theipaper.com

Tuesday March 17 2026

By Pravina Rudra

Assistant Opinion Editor at The i Paper

Good afternoon,

The special relationship was a term coined by Winston Churchill back in 1946, to describe the unique alliance between the US and UK in the wake of WWII. It has been much under debate since – mostly focused on how much our Prime Minister should submit to the US President’s wishes. Tony Blair infamously pledged his support to George W. Bush in the Iraq War, with a note saying “I will be with you, whatever”. In the film Love Actually Hugh Grant as PM rejects a close allyship, stating that a “friend who bullies us is no longer a friend”. 

When Donald Trump returned to the White House, Keir Starmer certainly seemed to be following the former model of special relationship. But more recently, he has declined to support Trump’s war on Iran, leading to unprecedented criticism from the President. So what exactly is the state of the special relationship now?

In today’s Perspectives, Ian Dunt argues our obsession with the US is embarrassing, and that we need to get closer to Europe. Jon Sopel suggests Starmer’s policy is correct – the US doesn’t really care for us. And Zoë Grünewald predicts that a Reform government would see our country sidelined on the international stage.

Don’t miss what matters to you.

Add The i Paper as your preferred source on Google. Our latest stories, always in your search results. Click here.

JD Vance would make Nigel Farage a global laughing stock

Zoe Grünewald, journalist, broadcaster and political commentator

Read perspective  →

I know what Americans really think about the UK. Starmer has got this right

Jon Sopel, journalist, television presenter and host of The News Agents

Read perspective  →

Britain’s obsession with America is embarrassing

Ian Dunt, The i Paper columnist and author of How To Be A Liberal

Read perspective  →

SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Trump is so ‘tired of winning’ he’s come crawling back to Nato

James Ball suggests that over Iran, the President is trying his oldest trick: passing the problem on to someone else.

The country condemned to ‘financial execution’ in Trump’s war

Patrick Cockburn’s enlightening read on Iraq suggests that its short-lived peace may be coming to an end.

Putin helped revive North Korea. He will expect a reward

Edward Howell thinks Russia and Korea now have a bond forged in blood on the battlefields of Ukraine.

Why I’m teaching my kids to lie

Kirsty Ketley says her unconventional parenting hack is about survival rather than deception.

‘Rather than buying a property, I’m focused on building wealth through investments and the stock market,’ says Sophie Blank

♦ LIFESTYLE

I have £200,000 in savings but I’m not buying a house – this is my plan

Isabelle Aron speaks to people who are part of a growing trend – turning away from property as an aspirational investment, and banking on making their money work harder elsewhere.

♦ CULTURE

It’s time for David Hockney to put down the iPad

Florence Hallett is unimpressed by the painter’s digital lockdown sketches – and questions why after all this time, they’re being shown in an exhibition.

David Soye from Chesterfield in Derbyshire feels that we must stop complaining about potholes and the state of our roads:

“Much of our current road network was designed and built in the last century for fewer, smaller, lighter, slower vehicles.

“Now we have vastly more, larger, heavier vehicles driven much faster. Weighty electric vehicles add to the burden and the damage. On top of this, council funding has been eviscerated over past years.”

Jacqueline Baldock from Lynsted in Kent suggests the strategy for dealing with the meningitis outbreak has been short-sighted:

“After the outbreak of meningitis in Canterbury, would it not be more sensible to lock the campus down rather than simply stop face-to-face lectures?

“The students will have time on their hands and so will go into to Canterbury and the surrounding areas, where they can spread the infection.”

border=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ role=”presentation” style=”mso-table-lspace:0;mso-table-rspace:0″>

Get in touch

Author: North London