politics

UK's 'special relationship' with US uncertain as Biden edges closer to victory

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The UK’s “special relationship” with the US was last night hanging in the balance as Joe Biden appeared to edge closer to victory.

Boris Johnson refused to criticise Donald Trump for prematurely claiming victory in the American election and threatening to use the courts to prevent votes being counted.

The Prime Minister told MPs: “We don’t comment as the UK Government on the democratic processes of our friends and allies.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was not for Mr Trump to decide when votes should stop being counted, with millions still outstanding. In the Commons, he said the American people must have a “free and fair choice” of president.

And Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy branded Mr Trump’s remarks “shocking”.

Amid fears a Democrat administration may be frosty towards them for cosying up to Trump, No10 admitted the PM has never met Biden.



Boris Johnson refused to condemn Donald Trump today

Boris Johnson has been one of President Trump’s biggest international cheerleaders.

After the Conservative election victory in December, Mr Biden damned Johnson as “a physical and emotional clone” of Mr Trump.

The Government insisted the special relationship with the US would endure whoever ended up winning the bitterly contested election. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the “bedrock” of the relationship was strong economic, security and cultural ties.

But he admitted the “contours” could differ depending on who wins.



Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden is on the verge of victory

Mr Trump has been a supporter of Brexit and a UK-US trade deal, but any Biden administration is expected to be cooler on the idea.

The Democrat, who treasures his Irish heritage, has publicly criticised the Government over its plan to break international law by tearing up the Brexit divorce deal. He warned that a UK-US trade deal was “contingent” on respect for the Good Friday Agreement and the prevention of a return to a hard NI border.

He has warned: “We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.”

Mr Johnson is unlikely to be first on a new President Biden’s call-list.

Instead, the Democrat is expected to focus his attention on rebuilding the US’s fractured relationship with the European Union.



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