Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

President Biden: Bad News For Britain And Boris?

President Biden: Bad News For Britain And Boris?

Boris Johnson is a more natural fit with Donald Trump - two populist showmen set on shaking up the established order. But for Britain, President Joe Biden isn't all bad news.

An air of anticipation, and anxiety, will hang heavy around 10 Downing Street this morning. Ears straining for the familiar chimes of the Prime Minister’s phone, awaiting feverishly the most coveted call in world politics: “Please hold for the President-Elect.”

For Boris Johnson, unsure of where he stands with Joe Biden, America’s chosen man, it’ll be a nervy moment.

On the face of it, he’s a more natural fit with Donald Trump: two populist showmen set on shaking up the established order. Scratch below the surface, however, and it’s clear America’s next leader - an avowed internationalist and climate champion - has more in common with the British premier than meets the eye.

Establishing precisely where these areas of mutual interest lie will be a priority for London. On this, there’s ground to be made up - UK officials, like all overseas players, were denied access to Team Biden during the campaign, an effort to thwart accusations of foreign interference.

A deficit of trust must also be overturned. President-Elect Biden is well aware of the Trumpian edge to Johnson’s administration, not long ago dubbing the prime minister a “physical and emotional clone” of his vanquished Republican rival. The 46th President won’t easily forget Johnson’s digs at his former boss, Barack Obama, either (the "part-Kenyan" ex-president had an “ancestral dislike” of the British empire), nor excuse the Brit’s withering commentary of Hillary Clinton (a “sadistic mental health nurse”).

But it’s Brexit that’ll prove the biggest sticking point. Vocal in his opposition to Britain’s EU divorce, Biden will waste no time in pressuring Johnson to abandon threats of no-deal, encouraging instead an eleventh-hour olive branch to Brussels. Should London resist, things could get ugly - especially if the government's incendiary Internal Market Bill remains in play.

A piece of Brexit legislation that could, experts say, see the island of Ireland again riven by a hard border, the Bill is of deep personal concern to Biden, an Irish-American with strong ties to his ancestral homeland. Should it, or any other British proposal, threaten Irish peace, a transatlantic trade deal would be off the table, the President-Elect has warned in no uncertain terms.

It’s a threat Downing Street would be wise to take seriously. The success of Brexit - upon which Johnson’s legacy hangs - is tied inextricably to sealing a bumper UK-US trade pact; one that underscores the value of commercial sovereignty, and vindicates Britain’s decision to go it alone.



Even if Biden’s Irish fears are assuaged, securing such a deal won’t be easy. Negotiators have been hard at it since January, seeking common ground on food standards, agriculture, market access for drug companies, and a litany of other thorny issues; but progress has been glacial.

With the departure of Donald Trump, who spoke energetically of a speedy agreement, the process is likely to slow even further. EU member states, collectively the world’s second largest economy, have suffered four years of insult and alienation from a disdainful Washington; healing those divisions, not brokering more Anglo-US trade, will be President Biden’s regional priority.

They say the 77-year-old is a pragmatist, however, and 2021 isn’t a year that Britain will easily be ignored. From January, the UK will assume a succession of heady international roles - G7 and UN Security Council presidencies, before hosting the COP26 climate conference in December - each one of vital importance to an Oval Office under new administration.

These meetings will reveal a striking overlap of Biden-Johnson policy objectives. On the urgent need for new environmental agreement at COP26, the two men could scarcely be more closely aligned, particularly when measured against Trump’s unyielding climate skepticism. There’s common ground on Iran too, with Britain - as part of a wider European front - strenuously opposed to the outgoing president’s showdown with Tehran, something Biden is set to reverse.



And then there are interests that speak directly to the nations’ vaunted special relationship. NATO spending, for one, will remain an area of unwavering agreement (unlike many European allies, the UK meets its military spending obligations), while both Johnson and Biden see the need to contain Russia's creeping aggression in the East - something neither France nor Germany, for various political and economic reasons, appear unwilling to tackle.

With this in mind, Boris Johnson needn't entirely mourn America’s changing of the guard. Will Biden offer the same blustering exuberance and Brexit back-slapping as his predecessor? The same personal chemistry?

No; but he’ll work to uplift - not wreck - the sort of global multilateralism upon which Britain thrives. For London, that's something at least.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×