Blair and Bush: Set for meeting

Tony Blair is this week set to visit Washington for top level talks with President Bush.

The prime minister will be the first foreign leader to visit the US capital since Bush was re-elected to the White House.

Opposition parties have warned the prime minister that he must make Britain's voice heard in the Oval Office.

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said the prime minister has to show leadership when dealing with the Bush administration.

"In the past it has been clear that Tony Blair has consistently failed to put Britain's case to President Bush and has merely followed his lead," he said.

"Given President Bush's clear majority and strengthened position, this must be the moment when the British prime minister ensures that Britain's voice is not only heard loud and clear, but is also given good account."

Charles Kennedy, the Lib Dem leader, said Blair must act as a wise counsel in the US.

"The pessimists say this means the neo-conservatives are going to move in and take over the White House," said Kennedy.

"The optimists among us must hope that he seizes this big opportunity, not least where the Middle East is concerned, to try and break the deadlock.

"The forces are perhaps conspiring to give him that possibility and anything the British prime minister can do to ease them down that path has to be in all our interests and in the long-term interests of the United States itself."

Middle East

Meanwhile the president's father has claimed the White House will step up its effort to reach a settlement in the Middle East peace talks.

Following Bush's election victory, Blair said kick-starting talks on the road map must be given top priority in Washington.

George Bush Senior said the prime minister's remarks, made following Bush's election victory, would find favour in the White House.

"I think there is an opportunity and I think Tony Blair was heard loud and clear in Washington about what he was calling for," he said on Sunday.

"There is a real opportunity. People forget that this president is the first president to call for a Palestinian state.

"Blair is correct, 100 per cent correct. And I think he will find the president a willing and able partner, particularly if there is a change in leadership in the PLO that we can deal with more openly and with more confidence."

Engagement

Meanwhile Labour's former deputy leader has claimed that the US will fail to re-engage with Europe for as long as Tony Blair is in Downing Street.

Speaking on Sunday Lord Hattersley said: "I don't believe the prime minister can convince the big players in Europe that they have to slavishly follow the line adopted by United States, either domestically in terms of economic policy, or internationally.

"I hope there can be a rapprochement between Europe and America but it has to be a two-way process.

"It may be that with the confidence of a second term, President Bush is prepared to have a dialogue with Europe, but whilst Tony Blair is prepared to march in step, in whatever direction the President is going, the Germans and the French and other major European powers won't be prepared to do that."