He was not going to allow opponents to force out the

He was not going to allow opponents to force out the likes of Geoffrey Robinson. Similarly in the early years he expressed his determination to keep various business figures in the Government. In the end it was events such as landslide election wins, and the Prime Minster’s opposition to changing the voting system, which undermined the relationship. But in reality the critics were more bemused than overtly hostile. In each case these partnerships were formed out of an exaggerated sense of weakness.Those who worked with him at close quarters during the early years of his first term report a determination to retain his relationship with the former Liberal Democrat leader, Paddy Ashdown He would not let the critics get in the way. Labour prime ministers can lord it with presidents too.Mr Blair has formed other relationships, partly to show that he is leading a Labour government that is quite different from any past regimes, and one that is recognisably “new”.

But there is this additional factor that is almost irrational in its defensiveness: in the dark days of never-ending election defeats Labour was seen to be soft on defence, while Margaret Thatcher enhanced her international reputation by lording it around the world with Ronald Reagan New Labour must be seen to be strong. The Labour leader was also quick to recognise the case for engaging with the world’s only superpower rather than encouraging its unilateralist instincts by keeping a distance. Although Iraq illustrates the flaws in such an approach there is no doubt that his obsessive Atlanticism differs from Margaret Thatcher’s because of his commitment to Europe. He sees Britain’s relationship with the US as a bridgehead with Europe. No one was planning to bracket him as an anti- American, not even the Daily Mail.There are other substantial and worthy reasons for Mr Blair’s defiant loyalty. In his determination to remain close to an insular right- wing President, the Prime Minister saw traps and opponents where none really existed.

But these newspapers, affecting outrage on other matters, show no sign of deliberately steering Mr Blair away from his friend in Washington. They are not mad enough to assume that they will win a referendum by turning it into a Europe versus US debate.Maybe the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph – more formidable opponents these days than the Conservative Party itself – will rejoice if the natural order resumes and it is the Tories who are close to a right-wing president. But that is not a central plank in the strategy of the anti-euro opponents. The anti-euro opponents will not be able to claim with any credibility that Mr Blair’s support for a single currency was fuelled by an anti-American streak.