David Cameron has risked the wrath of many in his own party by describing Britain as the junior partner in the special relationship between the UK and the US. The prime minister added that this Britain should not be too "needy" of America, in an interview with Time magazine, published on the eve of his first visit as prime minister to the US. Cameron defended the notion of the special relationship and called it "essential", but nonetheless injected a sense of hierarchy. He said: "I believe in the special relationship. I think Britain is, of course, the junior partner, but I think it is an important and long-standing relationship and I hope that we bring things to that relationship." Cameron has previously said Britain was obsessed with Europe and the US. In particular, he criticised his predecessor Tony Blair's unquestioning loyalty to the US. He also said Britain must look at where its strategic interests lie, by possibly having more than one special relationship. Cameron was accused of being insufficiently patriotic recently for not challenging President Obama when he appeared to sanction anti-British sentiment in criticism of BP, as it struggled to get to grips with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. "President Obama and I have a very good relationship, we get on very well," said Cameron. "Of course we will discuss BP. It is an important company, not just for Britain, but for America as well. It employs tens of thousands of people in the US, as it does in the UK." Cameron spoke warmly of his own associations with the US. "When I think of America I think of all sorts of things. My grandfather going ashore at D-day with the Americans in support of the British and everyone working together." "I also think of fantastic holidays I have had from Florida to Texas to California. I think of American culture. It is an incredible relationship between our countries." Cameron said he expected to talk to Obama about Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle East and Turkey's accession to the EU.