British relationshipswith America and Europe

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those sitting on the fence

pro-Europeans

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anti-Europeans(Eurosceptics)

For closer links because: 1. Britain needs to escape from itspost-war mentality

2. Britain needs to look to the future 3. negative attitudes stop progress anddevelopment

4. Britain could play a major role,influencing decision making

5. Britain is no longer a world power

6. there is a need to work with Europeand reduce American dominance

7. the EU creates stability

8. EU expansions will bringdevelopment opportunities

9. the ‘wait and see’ attitude results inmissed opportunities

10. there is already a lot of cooperation 11. people are familiar with Europe

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Against closer links because: 1. Britain has always been independent from Europe

2. there is a tradition of standing alone 3. national pride

4. Britons do not want to be Europeans 5. worried about the loss of controlover internal affairs

7. there are natural ties with the US and the Commonwealth countries, through language for example

6. successful relationships exist with theUS and the Commonwealth countries: why alter these allegiances?

8. trade links with the US and the Commonwealth countries are well established: why risk altering this?

10. Britain is stable and successfull without strong EU links

9. Europe has always caused Britain problems in the past

12. there is a fear of a European Union lead by Germany and France

11. there is a fear of a European superstate

13. Britain‘s business attitudes are different to European ones

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the special relationship:

opinions and facts

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The special realtionshipfacts

Britain thinks …

criticisms ofthe relationship

why the relationship?

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facts

• Churchill coined the phrase in 1946

• America is an old friend and good ally

• there is trust and confidence betweenthe two countries

• close ties developed during the Cold War

• Britain shared America‘s nuclear technology

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why the relationship?1. working together is easier because of natural links: language, culture and

history, for example

2. British investment in the USA and the USA‘s investment in Britain are both large

3. there‘s a lot of hidden interaction: intelligence, nuclear development and military, for example

4. personal friendships betweenleaders are often strong

5. in times of need theyusually help each other

6. established trade linksthrough NAFTA

7. business methods are similar

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Britain thinks …

• it can influence the USA by usingthe special relationship

• trying to influence America by working with it is better than criticising it from afar

• it is strategically important because it is the strongest military force in Europe

• because American needs to be in Europe it stillhas influence on it

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criticisms of the relationship• Britain is only a US stepping stone into Europe

• the special relationship is more important to Britain than to the US

• America has little needof Britain

• why be friends witha superpower and notone‘s neighbours?

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the end

© 2002 Stark Verlagsgesellschaft & Co. KG

Author: Paul Jenkinson