Now it has to decide if it can afford to break with its traditional ally.

He sees the world, including relationships with traditional allies, in a largely mercantile way, always seeking the best 'deal' in narrowly transactional terms.

Increasingly that means forming coalitions that include regional partners as well as our traditional allies.

As home secretary his was a brief but difficult tenure, and he found himself having to take decisions that antagonised his traditional allies.

There was also dissent from traditional allies.