The US’s disruptive America First approach is not one Britain can support any longer.
As usual, Mike Pompeo was brutally frank. Speaking in London last month, the US secretary of state warned that future bilateral intelligence sharing would be at risk if Britain allowed the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei access to its new 5G rollout. “The US has an obligation to ensure the places where we operate [are] within trusted networks, and that is what we will do,” he said.
The issue might appear arcane. But Pompeo’s threat, which Donald Trump will reiterate during his state visit, beginning on Monday, sent a chill through the diplomatic, defence and security establishment. In an age of rapidly diminishing influence, Britain still prides itself on its intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism and counter-espionage capability, as well as agencies such as GCHQ and its new offshoot, the National Cyber Security Centre.
This capability is recognised and respected – and is a main reason why Washington maintains a close alliance. Britain brings something substantial to the top table – and that helps secure its place there. By publicly questioning this collaboration, Pompeo thrust a well-aimed dagger into the heart of the “special relationship”. […]
But that serious damage has already been done is not in dispute. “The US has taken a number of high-profile unilateral foreign policy decisions that are contrary to the interests of the UK,” the committee (från Överhuset , min anm red) said in a report, UK Foreign Policy in a Shifting World Order, debated in the Lords last month.
“US withdrawal from the Paris agreement on climate change, the Iran nuclear deal and the United Nations human rights council, and the imposition of trade tariffs on its allies, undermine efforts to tackle pressing global challenges of critical importance to the UK.” Läs artikel