BREAKING NEWS: No more ‘failed’ wars: Theresa May rips up decades of Cameron and Blair policies as she says days of UK ‘remaking the world in our own image’ are over 

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Theresa May has ripped up two decades of ‘failed’ liberal interventionist foreign policy that has dragged Britain into a string of disastrous conflicts.

In a decisive break with the Blair and Cameron eras, the Prime Minister said the days of the UK using military force to ‘remake sovereign countries in our own image’ were finished.

Speaking to senior US politicians, she laid out a new set of rules which will see the UK intervene only when the ‘threat is real’ and it is in our own interests.

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Speaking to senior US politicians, Theresa May laid out a new set of rules which will see the UK intervene only when the ‘threat is real’ and it is in our own interests.

The comments effectively bring an end to what have been dubbed ‘wars of choice’ and the so-called ‘Chicago doctrine’ established by Tony Blair.

Yesterday, as she landed in Philadelphia ahead of becoming the first foreign leader to hold face-to-face talks with President Trump, she also:

-Predicted a close relationship with Donald Trump because ‘sometimes opposites attract’;

- Declared Britain and America will be able to start tearing down trade barriers before the UK leaves the EU;

- Warned the U.K. could be forced to limit intelligence sharing with the US if President Trump reintroduces torture.

Theresa May (pictured arriving in the US) has ripped up two decades of ‘failed’ liberal interventionist foreign policy that has dragged Britain into a string of disastrous conflicts

In her speech to the Republican Retreat convention, Mrs May said: ‘It is in our interests – those of Britain and America together – to stand strong together to defend our values, our interests and the very ideas in which we believe. This cannot mean a return to the failed policies of the past.

‘The days of Britain and America intervening in sovereign countries in an attempt to remake the world in our own image are over.

‘But nor can we afford to stand idly by when the threat is real and when it is in our own interests to intervene.

‘We must be strong, smart and hard-headed. And we must demonstrate the resolve necessary to stand up for our interests.’

The Prime Minister’s comments will be seen as the final dismantling of the policy laid down by Tony Blair in his now infamous 1999 Chicago address, which sowed the seed of British involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

David Cameron was said to have continued this policy with his decision to intervene in Libya to help topple Colonel Gaddafi - a move which plunged the country into civil war and chaos. Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya all became hotbeds for Islamic terrorism.

Mrs May - who will today become the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump at the White House - laid down her foreign policy vision in a wide-ranging speech, in which she also sounded a warning about the possible ‘eclipse of the West’.

She listed a string of shared challenges facing Britain and the US - including an aggressive Vladimir Putin and ‘radical Islamists’. Mrs May also warned of the need to challenge the ‘malign’ influence of Iran, in comments which chime with Donald Trump’s own stance.

Significantly, on Russia, she chose to evoke the memory of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher during the Cold War.

Mrs May said: ‘There is nothing inevitable about conflict between Russia and the West. And nothing unavoidable about retreating to the days of the Cold War. But we should engage with Russia from a position of strength.

‘And we should build the relationships, systems and processes that make cooperation more likely than conflict – and that, particularly after the illegal annexation of Crimea, give assurance to Russia’s neighbouring states that their security is not in question.

‘We should not jeopardise the freedoms that President Reagan and Mrs Thatcher brought to Eastern Europe by accepting President Putin’s claim that it is now in his sphere of influence. And progress on this issue would also help to secure another of this nation’s priorities – to reduce Iran’s malign influence in the Middle East.

Tonight, the PM will travel from Philadelphia to Washington, where she is due to hold ‘substantive discussions’ with the president

‘This is a priority for the UK too as we support our allies in the Gulf States to push back against Iran’s aggressive efforts to build an arc of influence from Tehran through to the Mediterranean. ‘

Mrs May - the first world leader ever to address the Republican event - went on: ‘Countries with little tradition of democracy, liberty and human rights – notably China and Russia – have grown more assertive in world affairs.

‘The rise of the Asian economies – China yes, but democratic allies like India too – is hugely welcome. Billions are being lifted out of poverty and new markets for our industries are opening up.

‘But these events – coming as they have at the same time as the financial crisis and its fall out, as well as a loss of confidence in the West following 9/11, the military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and sporadic terrorist attacks – have led many to fear that, in this century, we will experience the eclipse of the West.

‘But there is nothing inevitable about that. Other countries may grow stronger. Big, populous countries may grow richer. And as they do so, they may start to embrace more fully our values of democracy and liberty.

‘But even if they do not, our interests will remain. Our values will endure. And the need to defend them and project them will be as important as ever.’

Mrs May also said the values she had been taught during her childhood growing up in a vicarage were the values of the Republican Party.

She said: ‘I speak to you not just as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, but as a fellow conservative who believes in the same principles that underpin the agenda of your Party.

‘The value of liberty. The dignity of work. The principles of nationhood, family, economic prudence, patriotism – and putting power in the hands of the people.

‘Principles instilled in me from a young age. Principles that my parents taught me in the vicarage in Southern England in which I was raised. ‘

Tonight, the PM will travel from Philadelphia to Washington, where she is due to hold ‘substantive discussions’ with the president in the Oval Office.

Officials said she will also have the opportunity to see the Churchill bust, which has been reinstated in the Oval Office after being placed elsewhere in the White House by President Obama.

A key focus of the talks will be securing Mr Trump’s commitment to supporting NATO and making progress towards a post-Brexit trade deal

The PM will also visit Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Arlington is the burial place of at least 15 members of the British military who died fighting alongside US forces.

A key focus of the talks will be securing Mr Trump’s commitment to supporting NATO and making progress towards a post-Brexit trade deal.

Under the terms of the European Customs Union, the UK cannot engage in formal negotiations on its own free trade deals with third countries while it remains a member of the EU.

But Mrs May said: ‘There is a limit as to how far we can go in terms of a formal free trade agreement until we’ve actually left the EU.

‘I think there is much we can do in the interim in terms of looking at how we can remove some of the barriers to trade in a number of areas, so we are able to see an advantage to both of us even if we haven’t been able to sign that legal free trade agreement.’

In Chicago in 1999, Mr Blair delivered a speech on what he called his ‘doctrine of international community’.

The ex-PM said it was ‘better to intervene than to leave well alone’. Mr Blair said his motto was to: ‘Be bold, adventurous even in what we can achieve’.

In notes sent to George W Bush, in the run-up to the Iraq war, Mr Blair said that it would be part of a bigger push to ‘spread our values of freedom, democracy, tolerance and the rule of law’ across the world.

He added: ‘That’s why, though Iraq’s WMD is the immediate justification for action, ridding Iraq of Saddam is the real prize.’

Britain could limit the intelligence it shares with America if Donald Trump brings back torture, Theresa May warns 

Theresa May arrived in the US tonight, pictured in Philadelphia, amid a deepening row over torture after the US President said waterboarding 'absolutely works'

Britain could be forced to limit the intelligence it shares with the US on suspected terror plots if Donald Trump brings back torture, the Prime Minister warned today.

Theresa May said that she 'absolutely condemns' the use of torture - only hours after President Trump declared that water boarding and other harsh interrogation techniques 'work'.

When questioned about their differing styles before landing in Philadelphia, Mrs May told reporters: 'Haven't you ever noticed that sometimes opposites attract?' 

The split threatens to create major tensions in the relationship between British spies and their US counterparts, which is currently rated the best in the world.

The UK's strict rules state that officials will not share intelligence with countries if it involves a serious risk of a detainee being tortured, or that is how the information was obtained.

In comments that triggered anger from human rights groups, President Trump yesterday threatened to revive some of the techniques used during a George W Bush's ill-fated 'war on terror'.

He said: 'I have spoken with people at the highest level of intelligence and I asked them the question 'Does it work? Does torture work?' and the answer was 'Yes, absolutely'.

Mrs May has been careful to find common ground with Mr Trump on issues such as trade and the Middle East.

But, speaking to reporters on a flight to the US to meet the President, she said Britain would be sticking to its guns on torture - and was prepared to deliver this message direct to the Trump administration.

The PM said: 'The UK Government's position on torture has not changed. We condemn torture and my view on that will not change whether I am talking to you or talking to the President.

Theresa May, pictured being greeted by the UK's ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch tonight, said she is confident of striking up a good relationship with Donald Trump because 'sometimes opposites attract'

'Our guidance is very clear about the position that the UK takes and our position has not changed.

'We have a very clear view in the U.K. That we absolutely condemn the use of torture and that has not changed and will not change.'

The British guidelines on the use of torture were laid down by David Cameron in 2010 amid accusations the Tony Blair government had turned a blind eye to the ill treatment of detainees during his cosy relationship with President Bush.

They state that: 'When we work with countries whose practice raises questions about their compliance with international legal obligations, we ensure that our co-operation accords with our own international and domestic obligations. We take great care to assess whether there is a risk that a detainee will be subjected to mistreatment and consider whether it is possible to mitigate any such risk.

'In circumstances where, despite efforts to mitigate the risk, a serious risk of torture at the hands of a third party remains, our presumption would be that we will not proceed. In the case of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, this will cover a wide spectrum of conduct and different considerations and legal principles may apply depending on the circumstances and facts of each case. '

Police and prosecutors in Britain have made it clear they will pursue cases where there is evidence of British complicity in torture.

MI5 and MI6 both faced probes into the alleged conduct of unnamed officers in relation to the war on terror.

Donald Trump, pictured arriving aboard Air Force One at Philadelphia International Airport today, used his first TV interview as President to re-assert his view that waterboarding 'absolutely works' 

A growing chorus of parliamentarians are demanding she use her landmark meeting with Mr Trump to press home Britain's opposition to torture.

Ex-detainees have claimed that British officials were present when ill treatment took place. The taxpayer has been landed with a compensation bill running to tens of millions of pounds to settle claims brought by the terror suspects.

Some security experts have claimed the resumption of torture by the US would make intelligence sharing 'impossible'.

Ex-GCHQ official Matt Tait, said: 'Even laying aside the enormous domestic law and eighth amendment issues this brings up, this will make it impossible for UK intelligence cooperation with the Trump administration across a range of intelligence programs.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling tweeted simply: 'History's watching, Theresa'

'The UK will have to restrict the uses, categories and programs of intelligence sharing with the US if there is any risk the US could use that intelligence to intentionally engage in war crimes.'

Other security officials have suggested Britain may continue to share intelligence with the US, but insist that it should not provided with any information obtained by torture.

Britain could also seek an undertaking from the US that any intelligence it provides on the identity or location of terror suspects will not be used to facilitate torture.

Mr Trump told ABC News he would consult Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo about what could be done legally to combat radicalism.

But he said of Islamist terrorists: 'When they're shooting, when they're chopping off the heads of our people and other people, when they're chopping off the heads of people because they happen to be a Christian in the Middle East, when Isis is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since Medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding?'

He continued: "They chop them off and they put them on camera and send them all over the world. So we have that and we're not allowed to do anything?

'I will rely on Pompeo and Mattis and my group and if they don't want to do it that's fine. If they do want to do then I will work toward that end.

'I want to do everything within the bounds of what you're allowed to do legally but do I feel it works? Absolutely I feel it works.'

Water boarding is widely considered as a form of torture and has been banned by the US.

Ex-CIA director Leon Panetta said it would be a 'serious mistake to take a backward step' on torture.

He added: 'think it could be damaging in terms of our image to the rest of the world.'

The British guidelines on the use of torture were laid down by David Cameron in 2010 amid accusations the Tony Blair government had turned a blind eye to the ill treatment of detainees during his cosy relationship with President Bush.

They state that: 'When we work with countries whose practice raises questions about their compliance with international legal obligations, we ensure that our co-operation accords with our own international and domestic obligations. We take great care to assess whether there is a risk that a detainee will be subjected to mistreatment and consider whether it is possible to mitigate any such risk.

Mr Trump, pictured in Philadelphia tonight, is understood to be preparing to order a review of interrogation methods and the possible re-opining of 'black site' prisons outside the US. His comments backing torture - stating that 'we have to fight fire with fire' - threaten to overshadow Mrs May's trip to Washington

'In circumstances where, despite efforts to mitigate the risk, a serious risk of torture at the hands of a third party remains, our presumption would be that we will not proceed. In the case of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, this will cover a wide spectrum of conduct and different considerations and legal principles may apply depending on the circumstances and facts of each case. '

Police and prosecutors in Britain have made it clear they will pursue cases where there is evidence of British complicity in torture.

MI5 and MI6 both faced probes into the alleged conduct of unnamed officers in relation to the war on terror.

Ex-detainees have claimed that British officials were present when ill treatment took place. The taxpayer has been landed with a compensation bill running to tens of millions of pounds to settle claims brought by the terror suspects.

Some security experts have claimed the resumption of torture by the US would make intelligence sharing 'impossible'.

Ex-GCHQ official Matt Tait, said: 'Even laying aside the enormous domestic law and eighth amendment issues this brings up, this will make it impossible for UK intelligence cooperation with the Trump administration across a range of intelligence programs.

'The UK will have to restrict the uses, categories and programs of intelligence sharing with the US if there is any risk the US could use that intelligence to intentionally engage in war crimes.'

Other security officials have suggested Britain may continue to share intelligence with the US, but insist that it should not provided with any information obtained by torture.

Britain could also seek an undertaking from the US that any intelligence it provides on the identity or location of terror suspects will not be used to facilitate torture.

Mr Trump told ABC News he would consult Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo about what could be done legally to combat radicalism.

But he said of Islamist terrorists: 'When they're shooting, when they're chopping off the heads of our people and other people, when they're chopping off the heads of people because they happen to be a Christian in the Middle East, when Isis is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since Medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding?'

He continued: "They chop them off and they put them on camera and send them all over the world. So we have that and we're not allowed to do anything?

'I will rely on Pompeo and Mattis and my group and if they don't want to do it that's fine. If they do want to do then I will work toward that end.

'I want to do everything within the bounds of what you're allowed to do legally but do I feel it works? Absolutely I feel it works.'

Water boarding is widely considered as a form of torture and has been banned by the US.

Ex-CIA director Leon Panetta said it would be a 'serious mistake to take a backward step' on torture.

He added: 'think it could be damaging in terms of our image to the rest of the world.'

Theresa May said she is confident of striking up a good relationship with Donald Trump because 'sometimes opposites attract'.

She arrived in the US tonight amid a deepening row over torture after the US President said waterboarding 'absolutely works'.

But ahead of crunch meetings with President Trump in the White House tomorrow, she condemned the use of torture and insisted the UK's ban on the use of intelligence obtained through interrogation methods would continue.

Mrs May even suggested intelligence sharing with US spying agencies could be withdrawn in some operations if the White House reintroduced torture.

She dismissed suggestions that her reserved nature and her upbringing as a daughter of an English vicar would clash with the brash New York billionaire property tycoon and make it hard to form a close partnership.

She shot back at reporters on her flight over to the US: 'Haven't you ever noticed that sometimes opposites attract?'

The Prime Minister scored a major coup in becoming the first world leader to be invited to visit President Trump in the White House.

Mrs May vowed to speak up for British interests in the meeting, which is expected to focus on trade, security and the future of the UK-US special relationship - insisting that what she says to the President will not differ from what she says in public.

And she played down the likelihood that policy differences over issues like Nato, Iran and the use of torture might stand in the way of the closer relationship which she believes is in the interests of both Britain and America.

Theresa May, pictured being greeted by the UK's ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch tonight, said she is confident of striking up a good relationship with Donald Trump because 'sometimes opposites attract'

Speaking to reporters on her flight to the US, Mrs May said: 'We have an opportunity through this early meeting with Donald Trump to start that process of building on that special relationship - a special relationship which is in our national interest and I think is in their national interest.

'And I think that we can together not just build that special relationship, but do it in a way that is good for both of us and good more widely.'

Although no talks on a formal free trade agreement can begin until the UK leaves the EU, Mrs May made clear she hopes to use the Oval Office meeting to start tearing down barriers to trade.

There was much that could be done now to 'remove some of the barriers to trade in a number of areas, so we are able to see an advantage to both of us even if we haven't been able to sign that legal free trade agreement', she said.

Mrs May said the President had already assured her in a phone conversation of his 'commitment' to Nato.

And she insisted that Mr Trump's apparent readiness to use torture and 'black site' prison camps against terror suspects would not alter the UK's stance, telling reporters: 'We condemn torture and my view on that won't change whether I'm talking to you or talking to the President of the United States of America.'

Donald Trump, pictured arriving aboard Air Force One at Philadelphia International Airport today, used his first TV interview as President to re-assert his view that waterboarding 'absolutely works'

A growing chorus of parliamentarians are demanding she use her landmark meeting with Mr Trump to press home Britain's opposition to torture.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling tweeted simply: 'History's watching, Theresa'

In a speech to Republican congressmen on Thursday, Mrs May was due to say that Mr Trump's election and the Brexit referendum have provided the two countries with an opportunity to 'renew' their links, restore their confidence and 'lead together again' in the world.

Mrs May flew to Philadelphia today onboard the specially converted refuelling tanker 

Asked whether she saw parallels between their approaches, she said: 'I think we both share a desire to make sure that governments are working for everyone and that particularly governments are working for ordinary working families and working-class families.

'I think that's important. That's what I spoke about on the steps of Number 10 when I became Prime Minister. I think we share that interest and that intention in both our countries.'

She dismissed the suggestion that she may not be able to trust a politician who has shown himself willing to repeat in public assertions which have been comprehensively written off as false.

Asked whether she feared that UK voters may think she is getting too close, too quickly with a president about whom many have deep misgivings, Mrs May said: 'Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America.

'The United Kingdom and the USA have shared interests, shared challenges that we can work together to deal with.

'We have a special relationship. It is a long-standing relationship, it's existed through many different prime ministers and presidents.

'I want to build on that relationship. I believe from the conversations I've already had with Donald Trump he does too.

'I believe there's a role for the UK and the US working together that we can play in standing up for our shared interests and our shared values.'

ALL ABOARD 'CAM FORCE ONE'  

Prime Minister Theresa May flew to Philadelphia onboard the Royal Air Force's A330 Voyager aircraft - dubbed 'Cam Force One'. 

The jet was commissioned by former PM David Cameron as a cost-saving measure to replace the ageing Royal Flight for ministerial use. 

When not used by government ministers, the jet, which is based on an Airbus A330, is used by the Royal Air Force as a refuelling platform. 

Theresa May flew to Philadelphia today on board the RAF Voyager aircraft 

The refuelling jet underwent a £10m refit so it can be used by government ministers 

Despite being available for VIP use, the jet's primary role is refuelling fighter aircraft

The jet has 58 business class style seats in the front with economy-style seats in the rear. 

The plane also allows for secure communications that cannot be intercepted. The Voyager, which is based on an Airbus A330, will be housed at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. It will also be available for the Royal family for official overseas visits.

 Cameron used the jet for the first time in July 2016 after it underwent a £10million refit on a trip to Warsaw to a Nato summit.  

She added: 'What is important is actually being able to have the opportunity to sit down with President Trump and talk to him face-to-face about the issues, about the interests we share, about the special relationship, about the challenges that we both face.'

Back home Mrs May came is facing a growing chorus of parliamentarians demanding she use her landmark meeting with Mr Trump to press home Britain's opposition to torture.

Senior Tory MP Sarah Wollaston tweeted: 'You cannot lead on a global stage by advocating torture, disgusting racial stereotyping & turning back the clock on women's rights worldwide.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May 'must put our values, not America first', adding: 'Say no to waterboarding. It's torture.'

His predecessor Ed Miliband said her failure to raise his support for waterboarding should make 'all decent Tories feel queasy'.

And Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling tweeted simply: 'History's watching, Theresa.'

But Mr Stewart told Radio 5 Live: :'We don't like torture. No one likes torture. Not even Trump likes torture. But the fact of the matter is... sometimes it might work, and sometimes it might be justified.'

He continued: 'I don't agree with waterboarding but a certain amount of persuasion might be justified if someone for example had the knowledge about where a nuclear weapon that was going to explode in London was. That is where I suggest that people might say a certain amount of persuasion could be justified.

Mr Trump, pictured in Philadelphia tonight, is understood to be preparing to order a review of interrogation methods and the possible re-opining of 'black site' prisons outside the US. His comments backing torture - stating that 'we have to fight fire with fire' - threaten to overshadow Mrs May's trip to Washington.