June 28, 2007 | By Nathaniel Ward

Britain’s new leadership

Gordon Brown took over yesterday as Britain’s prime minister. This morning, he announced his new leadership team, which includes figures like Iraq war critic David Miliband as foreign minister.

Brown’s premiership could have a large impact on trans-Atlantic relations, Heritage foreign policy expert Nile Gardiner writes in a new analysis, though the “Special Relationship [between America and Britain] will continue in the immediate term.”

Brown will likely face pressure, explains the director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, from left-wing politicians who seek to withdraw from Iraq and distance Britain from the United States. Meanwhile, Euro-centric politicians may urge him to bring the United Kingdom further within Brussels’ orbit—which would be disastrous for both Britons and Americans.

“In practice, Brown is unlikely to immediately transform the essence of the Anglo-American alliance, but he will adjust its style, tempo, and priorities as well as the dynamics that drive it,” Gardiner writes. He concludes that the new prime minister must “demonstrate strong leadership in defense of the alliance if it is to survive.”

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.