Blair will be key ally, says Kerry aide
British Prime Minister Tony Blair will continue to be a key ally for the United States even if Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry succeeds in ousting George Bush from the White House, a senior aid to the challenger said today.
Many commentators have suggested that Mr Blair’s close relationship with Republican President Bush, particularly during the Iraq conflict, might cost him influence in Washington should Senator Kerry win the presidential election in the autumn.
But following Senator Kerry’s keynote speech to the Democrat convention in Boston last night, his chief political strategist, Bob Shrum, dismissed that idea.
Asked on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme what kind of relationship Mr Blair would have with Mr Kerry if he became President, he said: “I think it would be very strong. This has never been about individuals, although I think they like each other and know each other.
“This is about fundamental national interests, in Britain and in the United States, and I actually believe that the British-American relationship would be stronger in a John Kerry presidency than it is today.”
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