A special relationship?

Everyone is predicting that when George W Bush arrives in London in the middle of next week he will face massive demonstrations.

George W Bush may face massive demonstrations in London

Hostility to American foreign policy has never been more acute.

Yet only two years ago not just Britain but much of the rest of the world was expressing sympathy and solidarity with America after September 11th.

How has it come to this, and what are the political consequences for the UK?

Tony Blair had forged a reputation as a humanitarian who was not afraid to intervene militarily to right wrongs in Sierra Leone and Kosovo, but his critics would now say that his high liberal principles have been compromised by alliance with the US Republican Administration.

New Labour and the CBI

And while anti-war protesters take to the streets of London, the Labour Government is also running into criticism from a very different quarter.

Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt MP

The Confederation of British Industry meets in Birmingham with Britain's business community getting increasingly restive about Government economic policy.

Interest rates, red tape and tax are all high on the list of gripes, and with the new look Conservative Party ready to court them convincingly once again, there is no guarantee that Labour can keep the lid on business discontent.

The Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt joins us live.

Let us know what you think

[e-mail] Our e-mail address

You can reach the programme by e-mail at the usual address or you can use the form below to e-mail the Politics Show.

You will be returned to the Politics Show website after submitting the form.