Film explores the myths of our 'special relationship' with the US

Tony Blair describes it as a "cardinal belief", George Bush thinks it's about "a friend on the other end of the phone", but Roy Jenkins claims it's a "dangerous figment of the British imagination".

The so-called special relationship between Britain and America, which will come under close scrutiny yet again at Camp David tomorrow, will be explored in detail in a BBC2 special this weekend.

Hotline to the President covers the history of the personal links, or lack of them, between British premiers and American Presidents ever since Winston Churchill coined the phrase in the Second World War.

But the documentary by Michael Cockerell gives a telling and timely insight into Mr Blair's thinking on Iraq as well as his determination to support America in any attack.

In an interview recorded in July, the Prime Minister reveals he has been convinced for some time of the need to take tough action against Saddam Hussein. Mr Blair admits his irritation at being labelled a "poodle" of the US, praises Mr Bush's "straight" talking and makes repeated reference to the two countries' agreement on action rather than words.

Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's ambassador in Washington, tells how Iraq was the priority for the two men at their first Camp David meeting in February 2001. "They had never met before. We got out of our suits, put on our chinos and went in to have lunch. And the President said, 'Welcome. Right, what shall we do first, Iraq? Iraq.' Vroom and off we went. No nonsense, no frills, friendly, practical, very good."

From the heyday of the Thatcher-Reagan "love-in" to the nadir of Eisenhower's fateful rift with Anthony Eden over Suez, the programme covers both the odd couples and perfect matches that have been made between the White House and Downing Street. It reveals for the first time the role America played in providing military hardware as well as satellite intelligence to help Britain to retake the Falkland Islands in 1982.

The film also offers plenty of lessons for Mr Blair's current predicament, showing how Harold Wilson upset Lyndon Johnson over Vietnam and even Mrs Thatcher fell out with President Reagan over the American invasion of Grenada.

It is not without its humour, with Harold Macmillan's grandson detailing President Kennedy's most intimate confessions to the British premier. "If I don't have sex at least once every 24 hours, I get these goddamn headaches," JFK told a stunned Macmillan.

Wilson told colleagues that he couldn't publicly contradict President Johnson because "you can't kick your creditor in the balls".

Given the current clamour for action against Baghdad, perhaps the most ironic comment in the film comes from President Eisenhower when he expressed his anger over Eden's attack in Suez. "We do not accept the use of force as the wise and proper instrument for the settlement of international disputes," he said.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: BLAIR ON THE TIES BETWEEN BRITAIN AND AMERICA

On Bush

"He's got his own, as you know, charming personality and the thing that impressed me most is that he's really direct, really to the point, he's very straight and extremely easy to deal with. There's no hidden agenda or undercurrents to his conversation. It's down to business and everything's out in the open and discussed properly."

On the 'special relationship'

"The reason we are together with them is not because America snaps its fingers and we feel we have to jump to it. Why on earth should we do that?

"The reason we are with America in so many of these issues is because it is in our interests, we do think the same and we have the same sense of belief that if there is a problem you've got to act on it."

On the need for action not words

"There's no point in simply after 11 September saying to the Americans, 'We're very sorry, we offer you our sympathy,' you have to act."

On whether he would refuse to help the US

"In the end, Britain is a sovereign nation. Britain decides its own policy and although I back America I would never back America if I thought they were doing something wrong, if I thought they were committing military action in a way that was wrong. But I've never found that and I don't expect to find it in the future."

On instances where he has persuaded Bush to change his mind

"The truthful answer is that the first thing you should say about any such situation is that if you go around talking about it, it's not a very sensible way of ever being able to use it again."

On Iraq

"When I say that this is an issue that has to be dealt with, and I said that three days after 11 September, I mean it not because America thinks it's important, I think it's important."