Wednesday, March 05, 2025

‘Seismic’ Shift in UK-US Relations Is Not a Blip, Warns Ex-Ambassador

THE GUARDIAN: Sir David Manning and other former diplomats highlight major changes in ‘special relationship’

Something seismic has changed in the US-British relationship that will require the UK to look elsewhere for allies and accept that deals such as cooperation over the British nuclear deterrent are now in question, a former British ambassador to Washington has said.

Sir David Manning told a Lords select committee on international relations that something fundamental was happening to the special relationship and the change was not a blip.

Speaking alongside three other former UK ambassadors to Washington, he added that a divergence in values as much as policy was driving the two countries apart.

All four warned that future intelligence sharing with the top level of the Trump administration, once the bedrock of the relationship, was likely to become more difficult. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Wednesday, March 5, 2025