The relationship between the UK and the US is one that dates back many years; it’s a bond so strong that America continues to be our strongest ally anywhere in the globe. In fact, even at the height of the Brexit campaigns when the entire world held its breath waiting for the referendum vote; US President Barack Obama was one of the few international leaders that visited, and tried to coax voters into voting to stay in the EU. Although the “exit’ vote won at the end of the day, President Obama had genuine and noble concerns for the UK. America and the UK have so much in common, and even as we embark on leaving the EU and forging our way forward as a solo, sovereign European nation, we must maintain old bonds with traditional allies.
There are a thousand and one reasons why we need to renew our Special relationship with USA in the aftermath of Cameron and Obama;
- Anglo-American relations date back to over a centuries back, and both nations have enjoyed close military cooperation. Both countries have been cooperating for decades in the fight against terrorism and extremist ideologies. While the UK still enjoys its own superior technological and human intelligence assets, we still have to cooperate closely with the Americans if we are to succeed in the long term. A good example; the famous British national, Mohamed Emwazi aka Jihadi John, after appearing in numerous terrorist videos committing barbaric acts, it took the cooperation of the UK/US intelligence services to locate, and ultimately kill him in an airstrike.
- In 2015, the UK became the number 5 exporter of goods to the USA, which was a huge milestone in the trade between the two countries. Again, even as we look forward to ‘taking our country back’, even as we seek to secure our borders and decide who we want to deal with or not; we must secure old markets, find new ones, so that our economy grows. Americans love British made products and hold them highly. An American in the US driving a British made Land rover or Range rover always make heads turn, with many admiring the sheer ability of our engineers to combine elegance, class, durability, and luxury all into a single 4 wheel machine!
- Each year, over a million Americans visit the Europe for business, leisure travel, and or whatever purposes that inspire them. Of these, almost 70% have to transit via the UK, either land in Heathrow, before getting a connecting flight. This contributes much to our economy, and is good for our tourism industry that we always trying to diversify and broaden. London continues to be the main gateway for Americans visiting the UK and other EU nations. It’s therefore incumbent upon the present administration of Prime Minister Theresa May, to enhance movement and travel of US/UK citizens visiting any of the nations.
- The Brexit Vote cost David Cameron his job as PM. President Obama also has only a few months left, before his term comes to an end. Regardless of who becomes the next President in the US, we shall continue to work closely with the Americans. We have a lot of areas of cooperation, areas so strongly bound that it makes little difference of whoever becomes the next president. A Hilary Clinton presidency, a Donald Trump presidency; both have publicly declared to respect the UK’s will to leave the EU. They have also pledged to work closely with the UK to make the world a better place, and lead from the front.
Conclusion;
Even as we eagerly await the outcome of the November US presidential elections, let’s not forget that our bond with the USA will always be like that of two lions littered on the same day.
