Even London cab drivers are turning on Barack Obama
June 28th, 2010
By Nile Gardiner
I’ve just returned to Washington from a trip to London, and was struck by just how far President Obama’s standing has fallen in Britain. The main catalyst of course has been the relentless war against BP (or British Petroleum as Obama refers to it) waged by the White House in the wake of the Gulf Oil spill, which threatens the pensions of up to 18 million British people. I predicted on this blog several weeks ago that US-UK relations would be damaged by the Obama administration’s demonisation of BP, and that is proving correct, especially in terms of public perceptions in Britain of Barack Obama.
In a series of meetings with leading opinion formers in the UK, I barely heard a good word said about the president’s handling of relations with Britain or for that matter his presidency in general. In contrast, when he first entered the White House 17 months ago, impressions of Barack Obama across the Atlantic were overwhelmingly positive.
But the disillusionment with Obama extends far beyond the political and media elites. I was particularly taken aback on this trip by the level of animosity towards Obama’s leadership expressed by some London black cab drivers, who have also turned against the US president, especially over his handling of the BP issue. In numerous trips across central London I asked cabbies their opinion of the Obama presidency and in particular his handling of BP. Without fail, the views expressed of the president were overwhelmingly negative, and there was a strong belief among many drivers that Obama is anti-British.
I mention London cab drivers, not only because they are the best taxi drivers in the world by a mile, but also due to the fact they usually take a keen interest in politics and international affairs, and are often a good barometer of British public opinion. If Obama has lost the sympathies of the average London black cab driver, I would argue he has lost the support of the British people too.
Without a doubt, Barack Obama has a mounting image problem in the United Kingdom. Why does that matter? Because Britain is by far America’s most important ally, and the two nations are together leading a major war in Afghanistan. The president’s declining popularity across the Atlantic makes it significantly harder for Washington to advance US leadership on the world stage in conjunction with its allies.
Despite the White House’s frequent efforts to undermine it, the Special Relationship remains strong in key areas, including defence and intelligence cooperation. But it must never be taken for granted, and if the current US administration is serious about maintaining it, it must rethink its approach towards Britain and British interests, and start treating the Anglo-American alliance with the respect it deserves.
Source; blogs.telegraph.co.uk
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