Can Blair get the US to broaden its agenda?

Tony Blair has urged the United States to broaden its global agenda and "listen back" to international opinion.

His words came as Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced the call up of 1,500 army reservists, with further deployments to follow, in readiness for possible war with Iraq.

But he said the price of UK influence in Washington was not that "we have obediently do whatever the US asks".

Blair promised he would never commit British troops to a war he thought was "wrong and unnecessary".

Describing anti-Americanism as "a foolish indulgence", he said even those countries critical of the US wished they had the same relationship with the White House as the UK.

Do you think Tony Blair has any influence over Bush? Do you consider the UK's special relationship with the US as beneficial or detrimental?

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This Talking Point has now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

We should forget about this nonsense and move closer to Europe

Beth, London

Neither Blair nor any other previous British prime minister has any influence over that country. The British people who wish to believe in this 'special' relationship are fools. We should forget about this nonsense and move closer to Europe.
Beth, London

Of course Prime Minister Blair has had an influence with the White House. Consider the number of times they have visited each other's capitals in the last year. May I also say, the relationship Americans feel with the British is greatly appreciated and never forgotten. Both countries have been there for each other in the darkest of times and it will always, and should always be that way.
Jeff, USA

The exact amount of influence of Blair on Bush is secondary to the fact that Bush will always have more influence on Blair.
N. Bradley, UK

It might be that the US listens to Mr Blair, but he has little influence on the rest of the world. On a different note, Mr Blair is the only man who can bridge the gap between the US and the rest of the world. Through his own way, he very well might be the only solution to peaceful solutions. Let's just keep fingers crossed that he succeeds.
Jonathan, Malta

It's the Senate that is influencing Bush - NOT Blair

Ray, UK

It's the Senate that is influencing Bush to act through the UN - NOT Blair. If Blair does not go to war, would Bush go to war? I think the answer would be yes (assuming he has Senate support). Bush has convinced Blair that this is the right thing to do, consolidating his effectiveness at convincing us we should take part in whatever path they choose for us.
Ray, UK

I think Bush is beginning to listen to reason through Tony Blair, who is an experienced politician. The Brits have been involved in too many wars, and lost too many lives to start another in Iraq. I am very pleased the way Tony has stood up to the US.
Maurice K US

I feel Bush does listen to Blair, it's just that they both want exactly the same thing; war with Iraq. That's why Blair seems to have no influence with Bush, because the people of the UK strangely think that Blair doesn't want war.
Tom, UK

When is the UK going to realise how foolish they look, pandering to Bush?

Mike, Brisbane, Australia

Blair does not have any influence on Bush at all. The so-called "special relationship" only works one way and the US uses it to justify "coalition" status for their war mongering adventures. When is the UK going to realise how foolish they look, pandering to Bush?
Mike, Brisbane, Australia

I think the rest of the world might be a little more sympathetic to the US if they were to join in with the rest of the world on things like the Kyoto treaty.
Joseph, Manchester, England

I think Blair and the UK have considerable influence on US politics. The American people view the UK and its people as the number one ally of the US. When the UK objects to American policy, the two nations LISTEN to each other to resolve differences. If any other nation objects to American policy, the US administration (and its people for the most part) dismiss it as anti-American rubbish.
Michael, San Francisco, CA

Are we getting to the stage where Tony Blair is becoming more popular in the US than he is in his own country? Personally I feel he has played an integral part in moderating GWB's aggressive stance towards all out and unauthorised war. I also wonder why, if he is as self-serving and image conscious as many in this country seem to think is he risking alienation from the voting public in this country by continuing his support for US policy? May I suggest that he is a lot cleverer than many give him credit for and that just maybe his influence has actually done a lot of good.
Steve Perry, UK

Both countries would be lost without the other

John, USA

I would hope most people would realise the relationship is beneficial. Both countries would be lost without the other, not to mention more susceptible to harm. What country would start a fight with the UK knowing the US was on their side? Not a country with any common sense!
John, USA

John, USA should ask himself whether the citizens of the Falkland Islands, and Ulster felt safer knowing that the USA was on our side? Also, on the subject of the latter conflict, many observers have noted that the conflict was lengthened and worsened by the involvement of organisations such as Noraid, a major fundraising organisation working within the USA for the IRA. However, for any partnership to work there has to be acceptance of differing points of view, on both sides, for example anti-war feeling should not be viewed as anti-American, as it most certainly is not.
Claire Taylor, Leicester, England

Blair, who does not enjoy popular support on the matter, is dragging the UK into a war against a man who does

S Murray, London, UK

Blair, who does not enjoy popular support on the matter, is dragging the UK into a war against a man who apparently does. The whole thing rather challenges conventional notions of democracy and dictatorship, by my reckoning.
S Murray, London, UK

I think that Tony Blair does have some degree of influence over US policy. The problem is that UK voters have no influence over Tony Blair.
FN, UK

Of course Blair has influence with Bush. The UK and the USA are family, always bickering and disagreeing with one another but always sticking together when it counts. Even though I'm Franco-American, I'll side with the UK over France and Germany anytime.
BT Doiron, USA

Today's Britons undervalue and underestimate their PM

Michael, Cork, Ireland

I believe that his role with Bush is sometimes similar to that of Churchill's with Roosevelt as "his loyal lieutenant". However the US listens more to the UK than anyone else, otherwise they would have rushed into pre-emptive action many times in the past when the UK urged them to pause and reconsider. I think today's Britons undervalue and underestimate their PM.
Michael, Cork, Ireland

Personally I think Blair is more of an American stooge than a partner. Blair will do anything Bush wants him to do because he believes that the only way the British can have influence in the world is to stick with the Americans no matter what. He has no Influence in WA.
Kesesi Bettington, Kenya

I'm so tired of people calling Tony Blair, whom I deeply respect, Bush's "lapdog." Have any of you ever considered that Blair agrees with Bush regarding Saddam Hussein?
Shawn, Washington, DC, USA

Had it not been for the UK we would be at war today.

Inna Tysoe, USA

Had it not been for Tony Blair, I very much doubt Bush would have gone to the UN over Iraq. In other words, had it not been for the UK we would be at war today. On a more personal note, Tony Blair is often referred to here (and polls bear this out) as the only democrat who could beat George Bush. Hence Tony's decision to remain in the UK and not run for the US Presidency may be good for the UK but, in my opinion, bad for the US.
Inna Tysoe, Sacramento, CA, USA

Do I consider the special relationship beneficial to the UK? Of course I do. For over 60 years this country and the rest of Western Europe has lived under the blanket of security that America has provided so generously with armies and money because we were unable or unwilling to shoulder the burden of defending ourselves. You may not like 'Pax Americana', but the alternatives would have been and continue to be far less appealing for the UK.
Sandy, London, UK

As a conservative American who disagrees with a lot of what Tony Blair says on many issues, I can assure you that Blair has a lot of respect and is listened to closely in this country. He was magnificent and very comforting to us after 9/11. When he said "we will be with you at the last" it was very comforting. I have no doubt that Bush does listen to him and that he does have influence, as opposed to, for example, the French, whose knee-jerk anti-Americanism is simply expected and ignored.
JackC, USA

I don't normally defend Tony Blair, but the lines of the UK and US are significantly different. Bush originally wanted a pre-emptive strike on Iraq no matter what, something which Tony Blair has never advocated. I suspect it was Tony Blair and Colin Powell who, between them, talked Bush out of this and go through the UN instead. Of course, if Blair goes ahead with US/UK-only pre-emptive strike, I will change my mind very swiftly.
Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England

Mr. Blair blindly follows whatever Mr. Bush says

Prem Chander, USA

I think Mr Blair blindly follows whatever Mr Bush says. He has no influence on Mr Bush. Neither of these leaders has shown us any proof as to why we need to go to war with a tin-pot dictator. I am sure Mr. Bush is on a vendetta. Why is Mr Blair involved?
Prem Chander, U.S.A.

I know that Tony Blair is viewed by a great many friends of mine as a "legitimiser" of any action taken by our countries. We are, none of us, too sure about Bush one way or the other. So Mr Blair tends to be seen as a moderating factor. He has, and therefore the British public has, more influence in the US than he may think. I hope he will use it.
Patrick, USA

As the leader of our closest ally, Prime Minister Blair has notable influence over President Bush. By way of his representation of British citizens, his opinions and views are highly regarded by the Bush administration. To that end, the UK's special relationship with the US is beneficial to both nations, and always will be.
Anthony LaMacchia, Phoenix - USA

I consider the UK's so-called "special" relationship with the USA detrimental and embarrassing. We have little in common with their way of life. It is high time Blair and the UK started to be more integrated in Europe, where the country belongs both geographically and culturally.
Janet Anderson, Italy

Blair is throwing a sop to those in the Left of his party

Harvey, USA

Obviously the UK benefits from being a close ally of the US. Britain has a much greater influence on world affairs than it would based on its level of power alone. The US does make some concessions to the UK in areas of common interests in order to garner support. But I do think Blair is throwing a sop to those in the Left of his party when speaking of the US listening more to "world opinion." The US cannot base its policy on the public opinion of foreign countries but rather must operate on its interests, as all other countries do, especially when criticizing the US.
Harvey, US

As an American, I appreciate the few friends we seem to have these days, but I hope that supporters such as Blair do not encourage our president to engage in folly as seems to be his bent. Please support us, as we would support you. But do not indulge Mr Bush's stupidity. It seems that the Bush administration is determined to destroy my country's international image by thumbing its nose at world opinion, and I hope that Mr Blair does not allow support for us to tarnish the UK as well.

You are our ally, and I hope our friend, but you are not our lap-dog. Believe it or not, it is important to many Americans to believe that we have the support, at least psychologically, of our allies. This said, our allies need to tell us "no" from time to time, or the international situation will only get worse.
Shawn, Eugene, OR, USA

I am 28 years old, and was raised to believe that the UK was a good friend to the United States. I think Blair and the UK have already influenced the United States and George Bush. Blair and the UK also function as a serviceable bridge between the Continent and the United States. All of this is good, and for whatever it is worth, I hail the UK and Blair for their unflagging support of the United States since 9/11. (No matter what some anti-American Talking Point readers have written.)
Brad R. Torgersen, Seattle, United States

The US will not give the UK any special favours

Paul, USA

While the US welcomes the UK's support, it's neither as widely reported or considered important here in the US as people in the UK may think. The US will do what is in its best interests economically, politically and militarily, and will not give the UK any special favours in this regard just because Tony Blair (and Major and Thatcher before) swoon to the President's tune.
Paul, USA

I believe he has a small moderating influence. I think it serves the UK to be a bridge between the US and Europe. Also if the UK pulls away from the US then the US will probably become more unilateral in its approach.
Theo Slater, USA

A British Prime Minister will always have a significant influence on the American President and vice-versa. The USA and UK have too many unbreakable business, cultural, and historical ties that can't be severed. The two countries' governments agree so often in their view of the world that it is mistaken by the naive to be a situation of one leader being the others "poodle", or viewed as a conspiracy by the paranoid.
Tom, USA

I do not think Blair has any influence on Bush. UK's relationship with US is not based on friendship, because they are not equal partner. Therefore, in the long run the so called special relationship could not be beneficial for the world at large.
Nazrul Islam, Quebec, Canada.

Given the manner in which the US and UK originally parted, plus the continued antipathy between the two in the decades which followed, the close relationship between the two countries since the turn of the century is quite remarkable.

As a US citizen with no ethnic ties to Great Britain, I would always place the UK as our strongest allies. We do not always agree, nor do we even always work together. But the two countries always manage to be there for each other. The rest of the world may gripe and complain, but always seem to fall in line with our united front.
Stacy Mosko, USA

Yes, Blair has considerable influence with the Bush Administration. He has engaged the White House in its foreign policy decisions and helped to temper it to be less reactionary and unilateral as it certainly could have been. Blair has proven to be a good friend to the United States. When Blair disagrees with US policy, he works to gradually refine it to something more palatable to his government rather then discount it all together. He truly cares for maintaining the US-UK relationship because he knows it is in the best interest of both our countries. Bush is a big believer in the accumulation of political capital, and Blair has earned a lot working, yet not kowtowing, with the White House.
Mike, USA

I believe that US policy makers always consider the impact of any decision on the UK

Andrew Wilkin, USA

Undoubtedly, the US values its close relationship with the UK, and Tony Blair probably has more influence on US policy than any other world leader. Our common heritage, culture, language, history, economy and values means that in most cases we have common interests. When our interest do diverge, I believe that US policy makers always consider the impact of any decision on the UK, and try as best they can to accommodate her concerns.
Andrew Wilkin, USA

Anti-Americanism should not become a term for those who disagree with the Bush administration. And "foolish indulgence" should not describe the valid concerns of people who are not as hell bent on conflict as Bush seems to be.
Descurrie