Biden and the UK

Despite the controversy the next President of the United States will be Joe Biden of the Democratic Party. How will that affect the UK?

On many issues, such as climate change, Iran, free trade and multilateralism, Joe Biden offers policies that are closer to the UK’s than those of his predecessor, Donald Trump. The Paris Climate Conference, to be held in Glasgow in 2021, could be an opportunity for the UK to build on those shared interests. Biden also promises to work to restore traditional US alliances, which should include the UK.

It is over the Government’s Brexit policies that relations could be strained, however. The UK has dropped proposed legislation that the Biden team thought threatened peace in Northern Ireland – that may help the UK get a vital post-Brexit trade deal with the US. But Biden supports the EU and may prioritise countries that are influential in the EU – France and Germany. There has also been a perception among staff in the incoming Administration that the present UK Government’s general outlook is close to that of Donald Trump.