The greatest threat facing Britain may soon be the US – but the establishment won't recognise it | Andy Beckett

Britain's greatest threat may not be from Russia, as its politicians and security officials claim, but rather from the US under President Donald Trump. For decades, the British state has been adept at warning the public about potential threats from abroad, often using Russia as a convenient scapegoat. However, with the Trump administration's increasingly erratic and hostile behavior towards liberal Europe, including Britain, this simplistic narrative feels outdated.

The UK's military and intelligence officials are now convinced that an undeclared war is underway, but they have yet to acknowledge the true nature of this threat. The US has been a reliable ally for over 80 years, but Trump's presidency has marked a significant shift in their relationship. The US government's stance on issues such as free speech, tariffs, and climate change has created fundamental disputes with Britain.

The UK's dependence on US intelligence and military cooperation is also exposed. From the GCHQ surveillance centre to nuclear-armed submarines at Faslane in Scotland, many of these secret alliances are no longer tenable in a world where the US is increasingly hostile towards liberal Europe.

This shift has been starkly illustrated by the recent crisis over Greenland, which highlighted the Trump administration's deep-seated antipathy towards European countries. The US has consistently undermined international law and institutions, such as the UN, and its stance on issues like trade and security has created uncertainty for Britain and other Western nations.

The British state seems reluctant to accept that this relationship is fundamentally changing. Keir Starmer's government published a strategic defence review last June, which largely ignored Trump's anti-European foreign policy and instead reaffirmed the importance of the special relationship with the US. This suggests that there are still deep-seated impulses at work, including a reluctance to break with the status quo.

However, this approach is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain in a world where the US has become a more hostile and unpredictable partner. The emergence of nationalist politicians like JD Vance, who advocate for a more dominant US role in Western affairs, suggests that this shift may be irreversible.

The British state must now confront the reality that its relationship with the US is fundamentally changing. This requires new thinking and a recognition that the special relationship is no longer tenable. The UK's national security strategy should prioritize building relationships with other European countries and exploring alternative alliances to mitigate the impact of Trump's hostility.
 
omg u guys I cant even... its like britain is still living under this outdated narrative about russia being the biggest threat lol they need to wake up to the fact that trump and the US are the real deal - theyve been all erratic and hostile towards liberal europe and its not just a scapegoat thing no more 🤯 the uk's dependence on us intel and military stuff is also super exposed now, like whats gonna happen when we leave brexit lol? idk if britain can even handle trump being in charge rn
 
lol what's next gonna be china? 🤣 Britain thinks it's all about Russia but I'm like nah fam US has been a thorn in their side for ages. And yeah, Trump's antics are on another level even if they do sound like a parody of a bad action movie. Like, who needs Russia when you've got the US doing your dirty work? 🤦‍♂️
 
I gotta say, I've been saying this for ages... 🙄 Britain needs to wake up and stop blaming Russia all the time. Like, come on guys, you can't just pin everything on Russia. It's 2025 and we're still stuck in that narrative? 😂 The truth is, the US is being super erratic and hostile towards Europe, and it's time for Britain to acknowledge that. I mean, Trump's been doing some pretty shady stuff when it comes to trade and security. And have you seen how they've been undermining international law and institutions like the UN? 🤯 It's not about Russia, it's about the US being a major disruptor in global politics.

And yeah, I know Keir Starmer's government doesn't want to rock the boat, but trust me, this ship needs to change course ASAP. Nationalist politicians like JD Vance are bringing up some valid points about the US wanting to play a more dominant role in Western affairs. It's time for Britain to take a step back and re-evaluate its relationship with the US.

I mean, we can't just rely on our old friends to bail us out all the time. We need to be proactive about building relationships with other European countries and exploring alternative alliances. That's the only way we're gonna stay safe and secure in this crazy world 🌎💪
 
I'm only commenting now because I saw this thread from like, months ago and thought it was still relevant 🤷‍♂️. Anyway, I gotta agree that the US under Trump is a major threat to Britain. I mean, who needs enemies when you have a partner that's willing to undermine international law and institutions? 😒 It's been pretty obvious for years that the special relationship is not as solid as people make it out to be.

I've lived in the UK all my life and I've never seen our politicians talk about the US being more of a threat than Russia, which just seems like a convenient excuse. We're always warned about Russian spies and cyber attacks, but Trump's been making headlines with his own brand of aggression towards Europe.

It's time for Britain to take a step back and reassess its relationships with other countries. Building alliances with European nations is a no-brainer, especially if the US is becoming less reliable. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I know it can't be business as usual 🤑.
 
🤔 I think they're being a bit dramatic about this whole Russia thing, but at the same time... the US has been acting really weird lately 🙅‍♂️. I mean, Trump is just so unpredictable, it's hard to know what he's going to do next 😬. And yeah, we should be looking out for our own interests and not relying too heavily on the US for everything 👍. But let's not forget that we've got other allies like France and Germany who can help us out 🤝. Maybe it's time for a shift in how we approach national security, but I'm not sure breaking up with the US would be as easy as that 💔. Can't we just find a way to work together without all the drama? 😒
 
i'm getting worried about our british politics 🤕, they're still playing it safe when it comes to trump & his usa 🇺🇸, meanwhile we should be focusing on building stronger ties with europe 🌍, like germany or france 🇩🇪🇫🇷, and ditching the us's toxic influence 👎, keir starmer's strategic defence review was a cop-out in my opinion 🙄, it's time for some fresh thinking & a new approach to national security 🔄
 
I mean, I guess it's not like we've been conditioned to view the US as this infallible, benevolent power or anything... It's pretty obvious that things have taken a turn for the worse under Trump 🤔. The UK's all like "oh, Russia's our main threat" but let's be real, they're just using that as a cop-out because they don't want to acknowledge their own dependence on US intel and military cooperation 👀. And yeah, the whole free speech, climate change, and trade thing has created some pretty fundamental disputes... It's time for them to accept that their relationship with the US is fundamentally changing 💯.
 
the thing is, can we just say it already? brits have been dodgy about acknowledging their own problems, always pointing fingers at russia or whatever. but now that trump's around, they're all like "oh no, us is being threatened". meanwhile, they've been relying on the us for intel and military stuff for ages. it's all getting a bit old 🙄. keir starmer's review was super weird, just ignoring trump's whole anti-europe thing like it wasn't even there. i get that they don't wanna rock the boat, but this is the 21st century, not some nice era where everyone gets along 😒. and what's with all these nationalist politicians popping up?JD Vance sounds like a real character 🤣. brits need to wake up and smell the coffee – their special relationship with the us is done 💔
 
🤔 I think this is super interesting... it feels like the Brits have been stuck on this Russia thing for ages, but now they're finally realizing that maybe the US is the real deal? 🚨 Trump's been causing some major waves and it's time for them to re-think their relationship with him. I mean, 80 years of being allies is a pretty big deal, but if they're not getting the vibes they want from him, something's gotta change! 💡 Maybe this is the push they need to start exploring other options and not be so reliant on the US. It'd be awesome to see them make some new moves and forge their own path... 🌟
 
🤔 I'm like totally worried about this tho, you feel? Britain's been taking Russia as a scapegoat for ages but now it's US under Trump that's the real threat 🚨. It's like they're living in denial or something. The UK's got all these secret alliances with the US and they just can't acknowledge that things are changing 🤷‍♂️. I mean, come on, Trump's been a total disruptor for Europe and it's not just Russia he's been attacking 🤯. And now Keir Starmer's government is still going on about that special relationship with the US like it's 1999 🙄. It's time to wake up and accept that things are changing, you know? 🌎
 
omg, can you believe how outta touch the Brits are 🤦‍♂️? like, yeah we know about the whole Russia thing, but come on, they're still clinging to that "special relationship" vibe, even though it's basically become a toxic friendship 😒. I mean, Trump's been making America (and the world) an awkward place for years now, and the Brits are just sitting there like "oh no, we should trust them again 🙄". meanwhile, JD Vance is out here spouting nationalist nonsense like it's going to solve everything 🤯. Newsflash, Britain: the US isn't what you thought it was all along 🚫. time to wake up and start building those alternative alliances already 🤝!
 
🤔 I gotta say, this whole thing about Britain being threatened by Russia is super old news 🚮. Like, who even remembers that anymore? 😴 The US under Trump has been the real deal-breaker, imo 🙄. Their constant whining about free speech and trade makes me wanna roll my eyes 🤯. And don't even get me started on climate change – like, what's up with that? 🌡️

The UK's all caught up in this "special relationship" nonsense 💁‍♀️, but it's just not true anymore 💔. They need to wake up and smell the coffee ☕️. The US is no longer the reliable ally they think it is 😒. In fact, Trump's presidency has made them a total wild card 🤹‍♂️.

And what about all these secret alliances? 🤫 Like, what's going on behind closed doors that we don't know about? 🚨 The UK needs to get its act together and start building some new relationships 👥. It's time to move on from the Trump era 💨.
 
🤔 gotta say, I think the Brits are stuck in denial about the state of their alliance with the US 🙄. Like, come on, Russia's just a scapegoat for their own insecurity lol. But seriously, Trump's been all over the place and it's getting old, UK needs to face the music that their US partnership is evolving 📉. I mean, they're still clinging to the idea of 'special relationship' like it's gonna make everything okay 😂. Newsflash: it won't! They need to diversify their relationships and prioritize Europe, EU should be the new allies 💯. It's time for them to catch up with the rest of us who've been saying this stuff for years 🙄
 
Back
Top