Biden's Victory Creates "Awkwardness" in British-American Relations

The victory of US President-elect Joe Biden has introduced a sense of "awkwardness" in the special relationship between the UK and the US. The two leaders have never met, and the UK's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has sent mixed messages, congratulating Biden on his win, but with a tweet that initially congratulated Trump instead. The "technical error" has been described as a clumsy moment by Johnson's office. The two countries have historically had close ties, but Biden's views on Brexit have created uncertainty about the future of the relationship.

Key Takeaways:

• The UK's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, was initially expecting Donald Trump to win the US presidential election, which would have smoothed the path for a fast-track free-trade deal with the US.
• The Brexit deal is still uncertain, and the UK's exit from the EU has raised concerns among European leaders, with Biden warning that there will be no US-UK trade deal if Brexit undercuts the free movement of people and goods in Ireland.
• The Internal Market Bill, proposed by Johnson's government, has been criticized for undermining the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.
• Biden has emphasized the importance of respecting the Good Friday Agreement and has warned that any trade deal between the US and the UK must prioritize the agreement and prevent a hard border in Ireland.
• The two countries will continue to work together on issues such as military, security, and intelligence, as well as tackling climate change and defending human rights.
• The UK's relationship with the US has been described as "less important" by former Prime Minister John Major, who warned that Brexit makes Britain less relevant to both Europe and America.
• The UK's Foreign Office has described a Biden win as "problematic" for the government, while experts have warned that the relationship between the two countries is not natural and that the US government will prioritize the EU over the UK.

Statistics:

• Britain has the highest death toll from the coronavirus in Europe.
• The UK's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has not secured a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.
• The UK's Internal Market Bill has been criticized for undermining the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.
• Biden has warned that there will be no US-UK trade deal if Brexit undercuts the free movement of people and goods in Ireland.
• The two countries have held telephone calls on issues such as promoting global health security, pursuing a sustainable economic recovery, and combating climate change.

Sources:

• William Booth and Karla Adam, "Biden's Victory Creates 'Awkwardness' in British-American Relations," The Washington Post.
• John Major, "Speech in the House of Lords," The Guardian.
• Simon Fraser, quoted in "Biden's win is 'problematic' for government, says ex-Foreign Office chief," The Guardian.
• Robin Niblett, quoted in "Biden's win creates uncertainty for UK-US relations, says expert," Chatham House.
• Tom Tugendhat, quoted in "UK still matters to Americans, says Tory MP," The Telegraph.