Print Magazine
Brussels Morning Newspaper
Sunday, February 5, 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • About Us
  • EU institutions
    • Commission
    • Parliament
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
Brussels Morning Newspaper
  • Home
    • About Us
  • EU institutions
    • Commission
    • Parliament
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
Brussels Morning Newspaper
No Result
View All Result
Home World Diplomacy

Weekly Review: Why the UK played the US election all wrong

Sophia Akram by Sophia Akram
9 November 2020
in Diplomacy, Features
Weekly Review: Why the UK played the US election all wrong
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

London (Brussels Morning) Some political opponents will tell you exactly where they stand. Former Brexit Party visionary Nigel Farage, for instance, did zero to hide his support of 45, and his alliances are clear.

Before Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s proclaimed victory from incumbent Donald Trump, bets weren’t needed on which horse Boris Johnson’s government would have been backing.

It, however, decided to play a shrewd but potentially misplayed hand, straddling the Trump-Biden fence, and in doing so, possibly put itself in weaker standing with its new trans-Atlantic partners. Of course, no one has been banking on a Johnson-Biden bromance.

Johnson has always been seen as Trump’s man, receiving praise for Brexit and currying the same populist favour. The Democrats see him as a mini-me of the man on his way out from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Leading the Conservative’s pro-Brexit campaign puts Johnson at odds with the Irish-American president-elect, who was firmly against Britain leaving the EU. Former president Barak Obama already warned the UK would be back of the queue for a trade deal, which may cause fears that any gains seen in discussions with Trump will be put in reverse.

This is even more likely should the UK insist on going through with its internal market bill, potentially placing the Good Friday Agreement at threat.

Biden has been unambiguous with his thoughts on this:

“Any trade deal between the US and UK must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period”.

Despite assurances from ministers that there are no intentions of breaking the agreement, the US might not take their word for it. In itself, the bill breaks international law. It has triggered a legal suit from the European Commission, so the Democrats may be forgiven for thinking the UK under its current administration an untrustworthy partner.

There was zero redemption either when neither Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab nor Johnson condemned Trump’s false election claims after he demanded a stop to the count and said he had won. Britain remained irresolute on accusations that the Democrats were trying to steal the election.

It’s now possible Biden sees no ally in Johnson’s Tory party, and by Monday afternoon, two days after the result, Boris still had received no phone call. That honour may well be reserved for those who’ve been less wavering in their loyalties — partners like Germany’s Angela Merkel, for instance, who has long been forthright about her thoughts on the Trump presidency.

While no longer besties, however, the two parties still have some common ground, and it is clear Johnson will want to exploit mutual concerns over climate change.

The future COP26 Climate Change summit will be based in the UK — in Scotland — and getting back on track with international commitments on the issue, such as the Paris Agreement, will be a priority for Biden.

Britain is certainly now keen to press ahead and forge good ties with the new leader:

“The United States is our closest and most important ally. And that’s been the case under president after president, prime minister after prime minister. It won’t change”, said Johnson earlier today, adding that he was looking forward to working with Biden and his team “on a lot of crucial stuff for us in the weeks and months ahead… Many, many, many, many, many other issues”.

Johnson isn’t completely delusional; on issues around foreign policy and international security, Biden, and his Vice President Kamala Harris, aren’t soft pedlars, and in many arenas, their approach may not even differ from Trump’s.

The bottom line is, there’s enough common ground to maintain the relationship; it’s just unlikely to be filled with fireworks at the onset.

Tags: UKUS election
Facebook Twitter Youtube LinkedIn

About Us

Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.

Category

  • Ambassador’s Corner
  • Belgium News
  • Brussels
  • Commission
  • Council
  • Culture and Society
  • Diplomacy
  • Economy
  • EU Institutions
  • Europe
  • Europe With Transparency
  • Features
  • Health & Fitness
  • In Depth
  • Member States
  • Middle East Eye
  • Opinion
  • Our pick
  • Parliament
  • Place de la Bourse
  • Southeast Europe
  • Sustainable Perspective
  • The American Angle
  • The Macro-Economist
  • Uncategorised
  • US Elections
  • World

More info

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Cookies Policy
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Jobs

Brussels Morning Newspaper - All Rights Reserved © 2020

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Brussels Bubble
    • Parliament
    • Commission
    • Council
  • Wider Europe
    • Member States
  • World
  • Business & Society
  • Europe With Transparency
  • Culture & Society
  • Policy Talks
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Southeast Europe
  • Print Magazine

Brussels Morning Newspaper - All Rights Reserved © 2020

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT