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Could Brexit pressures push May to surrender British 'independence' to US?

The Brexit result is widely viewed as a demand that the government prioritize British sovereignty, but that principle may be undermined by any free trade deal Prime Minister May cuts with President Trump.

In 1987, Donald Trump wrote in "The Art of the Deal," 鈥淭he worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it.鈥�

To some in Britain, their prime minister, Theresa May, violated that rule when she became the first foreign leader to visit the US since President Trump鈥檚 inauguration 鈥� and promptly invited Trump to make a to the UK later this year.

The honor 鈥� one not extended to former Presidents Obama and Bush until they鈥檇 been in office for two years 鈥� comes as Britain gears up to leave the EU and shifts its gaze across the pond toward its top export partner. And the haste with which it was proffered has set off a firestorm.

Politicians and ordinary Britons alike are aware that the move out of the EU gives the 鈥渟pecial relationship鈥� of the US and Britain particular weight. But many are beginning to question its stature as the two countries start to diverge on key domestic and foreign policies. They are concerned that pressure to make Brexit go as smoothly as possible may spur May to trade Britain's new "independence" from the EU for a greater dependence on the US.

For May, the challenge now is to negotiate a trade deal with the US that helps counteract the economic effects of Brexit and maintain Britain鈥檚 standing on the global stage, without being seen to capitulate to an administration that is dividing British public opinion.

鈥淧olitically, she鈥檚 got to take account of public opinion in the UK, and in particular the repercussions that it鈥檚 going to have on Conservatives in the next election, whenever that comes,鈥� said Robert Singh, professor of politics at Birkbeck, University of London.

Pressure to cut a deal

A found that half of Britons see the US as the country's most important ally, and 40 percent believe that Brexit means having to keep close ties with the US. One-third see Trump as "good" for relations with Britain.

Unlike recent prime ministers such as David Cameron and Tony Blair, May was appointed after Cameron resigned following last year鈥檚 referendum 鈥� putting her in a more vulnerable position lacking a popular mandate. And with the governing Conservatives having a in the House of Commons, even a small rebellion in her party could make it hard for her to push through her agenda. Another found that if an election were called now, May would win 38 percent of the popular vote compared to 30 percent for Labour.

鈥淚 think that the political and the economic imperative now to finding some kind of trade deal with the States 鈥� however long that is going to take 鈥� probably overrides everything else,鈥� Singh says. 鈥淪he will probably have to do what, in essence, [former Prime Minister Tony] Blair did with Bush after Iraq, and just tough out all of the very, very vocal criticism that she鈥檚 going to come under 鈥� not just from the left but also from Conservatives as well, I suspect.鈥�

have signed a petition opposing Trump鈥檚 state visit, which will be debated in Parliament this month. A driving force behind is Trump鈥檚 recent travel ban on citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries, indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and planned wall along the Mexican border. oppose Trump鈥檚 visit, though a in favor of Trump's visit has more than 250,000 signatures.

Tensions could mount further as UK officials plan to visit Washington to start bilateral trade talks, in anticipation of Britain pulling out of the EU.

British values at risk?

What鈥檚 at stake is a sense of 鈥渘ational sovereignty鈥� that prompted some Brits to vote out of the EU, and would be perceived as weakened again if May ran straight from the EU鈥檚 arms into those of a leader determined to put 鈥淎merica first.鈥�

Also at stake is one of Britain鈥檚 most cherished institutions: the National Health Service (NHS), which dates back to the postwar era.

With more than 1.5 staff, it鈥檚 one of the world鈥檚 largest employers and a key part of many Britons鈥� national identity. Almost support free, tax-funded universal health care, and three-quarters consider the NHS one of the country鈥檚 greatest achievements.

鈥淧eople say the NHS is the only British religion that people still believe in,鈥� Singh says.

Yet Britons are to further privatization and competition from American healthcare companies 鈥� a prospect that rallied opposition to the abandoned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership () and that now looms over any trade talks with the US.

鈥淭he worry is, Theresa May is desperate to sacrifice whatever she needs to sacrifice in order to make her 鈥榚xtreme Brexit鈥� work,鈥� said Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party of England & Wales. "Is she really going to defend the NHS against that kind of deal? 鈥� One suspects she might not."

The two leaders do have common ground in supporting restricted immigration 鈥� with the British government pushing a 鈥渉ard Brexit鈥� that would end the free movement of EU citizens to the UK and letting in only 2,900 of the 20,000 Syrian refugees it has pledged to resettle by 2020 (out of five million Syrian refugees in total).

'Take back control'

The 鈥渟pecial relationship鈥� has had peaks and troughs since Winston Churchill coined the phrase in the 1940s, with highs including the Reagan-Thatcher and Bush-Blair eras, when Blair wrote to Bush, 鈥淚 will be with you, whatever鈥� before the Iraq invasion.

鈥淭he only times really when you can see that [influence] happening is when the American administration is divided, and the British prime minister can lend some weight to one of the sides,鈥� Singh argued, noting that Thatcher often sided with the hawks in Reagan鈥檚 government and Blair sided with Colin Powell on not seeking UN approval to invade Iraq.

The Telegraph agreed, , 鈥淭he role of Britain, as it was in the past, is once again to steady the powerful American ship, if it threatens to veer off course into dangerous waters.鈥�

鈥淭he trans-Atlantic alliance is renewed,鈥� the editors proclaimed.

Meanwhile, the hashtag #TheresaTheAppeaser circulated on Twitter.

Opposition parties are already pressuring May to stand up to Trump on issues of torture, women鈥檚 rights, racial equality, and migration, after the government took before it criticized Trump鈥檚 travel ban 鈥� in contrast with the swifter responses of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Fran莽ois Hollande 鈥� and questions arose around whether May knew about the policy before it was announced. One Labour MP May to stand up for "British values," which the government defines as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and multicultural tolerance.

Within her party, May must navigate an ongoing split between the part that favors free trade and the EU and a more nationalist, anti-EU wing ready to 鈥渢ake back control鈥� of Britain and work with Trump.

For Singh, there continues to be tension in government 鈥渂etween exiting Europe because we want national sovereignty and at the same time thinking, if we鈥檙e going to project power, we need to get close to Washington again.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of Tories who pursue this 鈥榯ake back control鈥� line are at the same time recognizing that we鈥檙e going to be weaker unless we are very, very closely linked to Washington, and Washington is giving us some goodies back in return,鈥� he says.