America Now! A Special Relationship?

Name: America Now! A Special Relationship?
Start: 2026-09-17T17:30:00+00:00
Location: British Library

British Library

96 Euston Road

Thu 17 Sept · 18:30 · Free

London

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In April 2026, The House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee published its report, ‘Adjusting to New Realities: Rebalancing the UK-US Partnership’, in which it claimed ‘that the UK must reframe its relationship with the US and dismiss previous sentimentality about a “special relationship”.’The international order of Trump 2.0 has clearly shaken the British establishment, but is this geopolitical realignment simply the Westminster class coming to terms with what many cultural, social and political writers and thinkers on transatlantic relations have long maintained. Is the history of the past 250 years of Anglo-American relations better described in terms of ambivalence, or even rivalry, than intimacy? Join our experts from across history, literature and political science to consider what, if anything, is left of the ‘special relationship’, and when, if ever, it really was that special.The event is part of “America Now!”, a series of live events exploring the current state of the USA and its place in the world. In a world of hot takes these discussions offer some much-needed deep dives, giving expert insight into some of the most pressing or peculiar aspects of modern American life – from the Supreme Court to "Cowboy Carter", and from the politics of the White House to the politics of "The White Lotus".

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