Blair treads worn US path

Much has been made of the "special relationship" between the major political parties in the United States and the United Kingdom in recent years. But the contacts between the Republicans and Conservatives and the Democratic and Labour parties are in fact part of a long tradition.

"Back in 1936 the chairman of the Republican National Committee visited London and found that Conservative party electoral organisation was well ahead of the Republicans at the time. In this early period it looks as though the British may have been doing the teaching, just as they did again in the early 1980s when Saatchi and Saatchi's work won a big reputation over here," according to Ezra Paul, a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

Now both Labour and the Democrats are anxious, in public at least, to emphasise their equality. Mr Paul says: "My impression is that on issues like campaigning techniques, reaching certain groups of voters and targeting, Labour are doing more listening than talking". As well as the much-advertised links between Blair and Clinton advisers, the regular meetings between the president's pollster, Stan Greenberg, and Labour communications adviser Philip Gould get considerable attention.

Labour has also established strong links with the California Democrats. "They say that California has the most active, creative and innovative politics and good personal relationships have also been established," said Mr Paul. He notes a striking similarity in the slogans on obligation, responsibility and the family used by Mr Blair and President Clinton.

The Labour leader was also very well received when he visited Washington earlier this year: "He got a much longer time in the Oval Office than you would normally expect, and a lot of coverage."

But Mr Blair still has some way to go to establish himself in the American consciousness: "The political insiders obviously know him. But outside the people who watch C-SPAN (the dedicated political TV channel), there really isn't much awareness. Margaret Thatcher still dominates perceptions over here," said Mr Paul.