The Skybolt crisis with Kennedy came on top of Eisenhower 's wrecking of Macmillan 's policy of détente with the Soviet Union at the May 1960 Paris summit , and the prime minister 's resulting disenchantment with the Special Relationship contributed to his decision to seek an alternative in British membership of the European Economic Community ( EEC ) . According to a recent analyst : " What the prime minister in effect adopted was a '' hedging strategy '' in which ties with Washington would be maintained while at the same time a new power base in Europe was sought . " Even so , Kennedy assured Macmillan " that relations between the United States and the UK would be strengthened not weakened , if the UK moved towards membership . " Alec Douglas-Home only entered the race to replace the resigning Macmillan as Leader of the Conservative Party after learning from the British ambassador to the US that the Kennedy administration was uneasy at the prospect of Hailsham being Prime Minister . Douglas-Home , however , would only serve as Prime Minister for a little over a month before Kennedy was assassinated
was assassinated
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Special Relationship