LONDON - Instead of seeing a significant partnership, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Commons said that many people, at home and abroad, saw Britain as the “poodle” of American interests.

After taking evidence from ministers and diplomats, the all-party committee said that Britain should be “less deferential” and more assertive in its dealings with the US.

Any belief that Britain’s historic links with the US will deliver special treatment is outdated and should be abandoned, the MPs said.

"The use of the phrase 'the special relationship' in its historical sense, to describe the totality of the ever-evolving UK-US relationship, is potentially misleading, and we recommend that its use should be avoided," the committee said.

"The overuse of the phrase by some politicians and many in the media serves simultaneously to devalue its meaning and to raise unrealistic expectations about the benefits the relationship can deliver to the UK."

The MPs' conclusions were backed by Sir Christopher Meyer, the former British ambassador to Washington.

Sir Christopher told the Daily Telegraph the phrase Special Relationship is "more a hindrance than a help" to UK-US relations.

"It raises unreasonable expectations," he said. "The US is our most important ally and partner, but we should be realistic. It would be better if the phrase fades away."

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