UK set for close bond with American President-Elect Joe Biden, says Newbury MP, Laura Farris

'Everything to play for' in US trade deal, Farris tells NWN

Newbury MP Laura Farris has said the stage is set for a close and exciting relationship with the US following the election of Joe Biden.

Mrs Farris said that the two countries were fundamentally bound on issues such as security, a mutual trading interest and a deep friendship.

When asked what the result meant for Brexit and future trade, she said: “I know that Joe Biden has raised concerns about the Good Friday agreement and I’m not denying that, but we are now at a crucial point in the trade negotiations and I’m optimistic that we will negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU and I hope that can be put to bed as quickly as possible.”

Comments have been made by those close to Mr Biden over comments that Prime Minister Boris Johnson made in an article in 2016 about President Obama.

The president had urged the UK to take stock of its relationship with the EU ahead of the referendum.

Mr Johnson, who was a prominent Leave campaigner, said Mr Obama’s remarks were “a symbol of the part-Kenyan president’s ancestral dislike of the British empire”.

Mrs Farris, who has worked as a staffer for Hillary Clinton, said on BBC Politics Live that she didn’t think “a few throw away remarks” four or five years ago would have any bearing at all on relations now.

She said: “I think the stage is set for a very warm and close personal bond between Boris Johnson and Joe Biden.

“If you want me to be honest, I think it’s sometimes a little bit of lazy analysis on the left that says ‘well Boris is basically Donald Trump’ and the two men will dislike each other strongly, I think it’s a bit of a lazy characterisation of Boris Johnson.”

Mrs Farris said that people referenced Mr Johnson’s comments on President Obama, but forgot that he had endorsed him.

She added: “Although Donald Trump was very open about his enthusiasm about Brexit and about Boris Johnson generally, it isn’t the case that we were able to negotiate a trade deal with the US while he was president, so there’s everything to play for.”

Mrs Farris said that president-elect Biden was “more of a known entity” owing to his nearly 50 years experience in politics compared to President Trump.

She said Mr Biden’s “crystal clear” priorities on climate change and security set the stage for “a close and exciting relationship”.

The Government suffered a defeat last week over its Internal Market Bill, which would allow it to overrule parts of the UK’s Brexit agreement with the EU.

The bill has been criticised for its ability to break international law and the House of Lords voted to remove this section by 433 votes to 165.

Mrs Farris voted for the bill in the Commons. When asked what the Lords vote meant for the bill and whether she could still support it, Mrs Farris said: “I’m very much hoping that we will settle our trading status with the EU before the bill comes back to the house.”

West Berkshire Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman Lee Dillon said: “We elected MPs to uphold the law, not to break it.

“Hoping for a deal to be signed before it comes back to the house is a cop out on the issue of breaking international law.”

Mr Dillon welcomed the US result and hoped that it would bring America back to the international table, particularly around climate change, adding that Mr Biden’s platform went further than the Government’s.

He said: “I’m sure that while the PM isn’t the greatest diplomat, the American government won’t allow previous poorly-qualified remarks to have a major impact.

“The power of trade rests with the US congress not the president and the major concerns over the Good Friday Peace Agreement within the context of the Internal Market Bill will be a major challenge that I urge the Government to consider.”