Obama and us

Here are some things we know about Barack Obama.
1. He has family in Kenya.

2. His father was around at the time of the Mau Mau rebellion, brutally put down by the British

3. One of the first things he did on arriving at the White House was to return to Britain a bust of Winston Churchill

4. When the previous British Prime Minister visited he offered as a gift some DVDs (playable only on American systems)

5. He is now hysterical about BP


Viewed in isolation these things may seem normal. The business of the statue seemed at the time simply extraordinarily insensitive. Churchill is revered in Britain and also by many in America. He could have transferred it to an attic, as one does with Granny’s painting. A gaffe, perhaps.


The DVD matter was seen in Britain against the backdrop of Brown being one of the most unpopular politicians we have ever had. But he went there as the British Prime Minister and deserved to be treated, as Britain deserves to be treated, with respect.


Now BP. Obama is tremendously unpopular at home and seemed to want to make this oil spill a personal cause, particularly given the unpopularity George Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina. But it has gone out of control. Scarcely a day goes by without Obama making some impertinent remark (it is none of the President’s business who the BP shareholders choose to have as their Chief Executive). He seems to have spent more time on the oil damaged beaches than in the White House. Even though it has not styled itself ‘British Petroleum’ for some years, Obama uses that formula to lay it on that it is the evil Brits at fault, even though the drilling company and the regulator were American.


Now Obama has mouthed off about whether he can stop BP paying a dividend.


All in all I think we can only take this one way. America has had Presidents with whom we have enjoyed a ‘special relationship’ and Presidents who haven’t really cared. Now, for the first time since Suez, we have one with an open and visceral hatred of Britain.


There will be results from this. The new British Prime Minister will, I think, be forced, in a ‘phone call over the weekend, to tell the President to get off BP’s back. Otherwise Cameron will look weak, which he can’t afford to do. But our relationship, special or otherwise, goes further than BP. Afghanistan. Trident, where we virtually allow America to keep the keys. International Finance and the G8. The huge new embassy the Americans are hoping to build in London.


And if this unpopular, spiteful, Britain hating man is re-elected, this is going to carry on for years. Time for openness and a bit of hardball, Mr Cameron.