Obama’s protectionist approach to the US economy – vowing to protect the American worker and ensuring that American companies stay in the US rather than relocating overseas – could have an adverse effect on the UK economy.

Obama’s pledge to increase the US presence in Afghanistan comes along with a report that he has already asked the UK to increase troop numbers there by as much as three thousand extra personnel. As reported in the Guardian, Foreign Secretary David Milliband has suggested that Britain would be opposed to any further troop commitments. (1) But does Britain have the political capital to refuse? (1) Patrick Wintour, ‘What Does It Mean for Britain?’, 5 November 2008, The Guardian.

Obama has made many promises during his election campaign, but we do not know if he will be able to keep them. The critical state of the US economy means that his priority may well be domestic rather than foreign policy.