Special Relationship no more?

The Special Relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States was always going to be a little different in Joe Biden?s tenure.

In his first words to the British people as president-elect, an impromptu response to a question from a BBC reporter, he gave a hint of his true feelings: ?€‹?€‹?The BBC? I?m Irish,? he quipped, before briskly walking away without another word.

It got off to a rocky start under the leadership of Boris Johnson, whom Biden had called a ?physical and emotional clone? of Donald Trump in 2019. It continued with disagreements over the status of the Irish border as the result of complications from Brexit.

And it looks set to continue under the new leadership of Liz Truss, who is set to meet with Biden in her first bilateral meeting with the US as prime minister on Wednesday.

It so happened that in the days ahead of the sitdown, both leaders were focused on selling their respective economic agendas to domestic audiences ? Ms Truss in a preview of her first mini-budget, and Mr Biden in campaign mode for the midterms. And it so happened that those agendas are diametrically opposed.

Speaking to reporters ahead of her departure to New York, Ms Truss said of her forthcoming economic plan: ?Lower taxes lead to economic growth, there is no doubt in my mind about that.?

The very next morning, Mr Biden tweeted: "I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked."