American diplomats are generally advised to employ the term ‘Special Relationship’ to describe US-UK relations, with the traditional view being that Britons feel slighted if the term isn’t used.
But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to dislike it, finding it ‘needy’ - he says he would call the connection an ‘indestructible relationship’ instead.
Nevertheless, President Joe Biden has used the phrase ‘Special Relationship’ more than once since arriving in Cornwall, England for the G7 – perhaps reflecting the fact that four in ten Americans (40%) say that the UK and the US do have a particular bond and a ‘special relationship’.
This is, however, twice as many as the 19% of Britons who say the same.
Britons are more likely to regard the two countries as close allies, but that the relationship between the two is not necessarily ‘special’ - 48% say this, compared to 32% of Americans.
A further 20% of Britons don’t even think the countries are that close anymore, an opinion with which just 8% of Americans agree.
