uk election results

UK's election results may lead to abandoning "special relationship" with US
Britons vote in their general election Thursday in what has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable races in recent memory.

David Cameron's opposition Conservative Party is leading in the polls by a small margin, while the ruling Labour Party under Gordon Brown is languishing in third place.

His party's position has been usurped by "Cleggmania".

That's the phenomenon inspired by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg who impressed the UK electorate with his eloquence in a series of US-style televised debates.

But despite this cultural change towards presidential style politics, Britain's "special relationship" with America may be abandoned after the election.

In Britain they called him "Bush's poodle", but under Prime Minister Blair, the "special relationship" looked pretty solid.

The phrase was invented by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

But when President Obama moved into the White House, a bust of the iconic "British bulldog" was sent unceremoniously back to Britain.

Nile Gardiner, Heritage Foundation, advisor to Margaret Thatcher, says: "I think for the first time in a generation we a US President has no real instinctive feel for Great Britain. And that of course is very bad news."

Most political observers have detected a rather cool relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The advisor to another Prime Ministerial icon, Margaret Thatcher, is predicting a slim victory for the new Conservative leader, but sees problems ahead for the special relationship.

Mr Gardiner says: "There is a distinct anti-British feel among elements of the Obama administration which is going to make things difficult for David Cameron."

The man responsible for advising Bill Clinton during the early years of his presidency about such matters says Britain is no longer as central to US foreign policy.

Charles Kupchan, Georgetown University, says: " I think the "special relationship" still exists but it is inevitably becoming less special."

But in some ways, the feeling is mutual.

Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the rising star of British politics, wants to scrap the "special relationship" altogether.

Even Conservative leader David Cameron wants a recalibration.

Mr Kupchan continues: "Many British see Tony Blair as having been dragged off into foreign adventure by George W. Bush. Or this idea that the UK should be tethered by the hip to the United States is not as appealing as it used to be.

Britain and the US still share many interests - Britain has 10,000 troops in Afghanistan and is supporting US efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran.

That sort of common ground will ensure that the two nations say "good enough" friends for the future. But lingering political tensions are likely to remain no matter who takes power in London.