Joe Biden blasted over Brexit ‘animosity’ and warned over UK-US trade deal ‘tension’ – Daily Express

Former US President Donald Trump had been a big fan of Brexit and regularly talked up the imminent prospect of a lucrative trade agreement between the US and UK. But his defeat in the US presidential election a year ago has seen talks between the two sides seemingly hit a wall, with Mr Biden frequently voicing his frustration at the UK's implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. During his presidential campaign Mr Biden, who is of Irish heritage, warned he would "ensure there was no US-UK trade deal if the implementation of Brexit imperils the Good Friday agreement.

He has also repeatedly warned the UK to not make the Good Friday Agreement a casualty of Brexit.

Nile Gardiner, a foreign policy analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, has launched a stinging attack against the Biden administration, warning there is now "a lot of tension in the UK-US relationship".

He believes that is a result of perceived "animosity" towards Brexit and an "unwillingness" to press ahead with the free trade deal with Brexit Britain.

Mr Gardiner also claimed Mr Biden's presidency "has been hugely unhelpful" in regards to relations between the two sides, branding his foreign policy a "complete disaster" following the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan earlier this year.

The foreign policy analyst told Express.co.uk: "There is a lot of tension in the UK-US special relationship.

"That is the result of the Biden Administration's animosity towards Brexit and the unwillingness from that administration to move forward with a US-UK free trade deal.

"The Biden presidency has been hugely unhelpful in regards to UK-US relations and Biden's foreign policy has been a complete disaster, as we saw with the Afghanistan withdrawal, damaging the US standing in the world.

"There isn't any momentum from the Administration to move forward with a trade deal.

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In 2019, then-President Mr Trump hammered the EU with tariffs of 25 percent on steel products and 10 percent on aluminium - when the UK was still a member of the bloc.

The US has since scrapped tariffs on EU steel but has failed to do the same for the UK.

Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported post-Brexit tensions with the EU over Northern Ireland are partly behind the delay in talks over a trade deal between the US and UK.

Government ministers were reported to have acknowledged some US figures are concerned about the UK's approach to Northern Ireland.

But they insisted the trade row with the US is entirely separate to Brexit negotiations.

A Whitehall source told The Telegraph: We want to see tariffs dropped on both sides. But it needs to be on terms that work for the UK steel industry.

It's good their department of commerce released a statement recently saying the administration will engage with the UK on trade issues like aluminium and steel.

"Now it's high time we get on and sort this issue.

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Joe Biden blasted over Brexit 'animosity' and warned over UK-US trade deal 'tension' - Daily Express