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U.K. scraps special ties tag with U.S.?

LONDON: It became one of the most derided diplomatic cliches of the Tony Blair era but apparently we’re not going to hear it any more.

The phrase, “special relationship”, that British politicians and diplomats once used to describe Britain’s relations with America is, finally, out, according to media reports.

Instead, the new line for British diplomats is to refer to “a close relationship” or “one of the most important relationships for Britain”.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the British Embassy in Washington had “quietly” stopped using the phrase “special relationship” in what it said was seen as a sign of a cooling off of “the comradeship of the Blair years”.

One British diplomat was quoted as saying: “Special relationship is just not a term we use any more. It is seen as a bit old hat and parochial.”

The newspaper said the change came after the new British Ambassador in Washington, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, “frowned” on the phrase reflecting the Brown government’s less fawning attitude towards the Bush administration.

In another sign of the Brown government’s attempt to distance itself from the policies of the Blair era, the Prime Minister has promised to hold a public inquiry into the mistakes made before and after the Iraq invasion.

Mr. Blair doggedly rejected calls for such an inquiry, arguing that the issue had already been dealt with by at least two parliamentary committees and by two independent bodies.

But Mr. Brown has said that he is not averse to a public inquiry at an “appropriate” time.

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