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American Democrats came out vigorously this week to express their support for the position between Ireland and the EU that challenges the British government’s attempts to undermine Northern Ireland’s Brexit deal.
The clever underground political maneuvering surrounding British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s visit to Washington led to coordinated signals clearly indicating that high-ranking Democrats were not in favor of supporting Dublin in the face of an offensive of diplomatic charm from the Kingdom. United against the United States.
Raab visited the US capital days after House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeated that there would be no trade deal between the US and the UK if the Belfast Agreement was compromised, warning London: “Don’t mess with the Good Friday deals. “
Democratic Congressman Richie Neal, a longtime supporter of Irish and Irish causes on Capitol Hill and chairman of the all-powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which passes the trade deal, said after he and Pelosi met with Raab that “he was not convinced”. according to the UK Secretary’s assurances, there would never be a hard border dividing the Republic of Northern Ireland.
The meeting came with a strong statement of support tweeted by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who warned that the 1998 peace deal could not become “a victim of Brexit.” The White House hopeful tweeted a copy of a letter sent to Boris Johnson by Neal and three other prominent members of the United States Congress with a similar message.
Dangers for Ireland
“I am very happy that we have been speaking from Washington with a united and strong voice,” said Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle, one of the first politicians in Washington to highlight the dangers to Ireland from Brexit.
The Pennsylvania representative said concerted support for the peace accord from top Democrats this week has been consistent for several years.
“I don’t understand how that could surprise anyone, especially in London, because we’ve been quite loud and clear, both in public and in private, for a long time,” said Boyle, who described Biden’s tweet. like “pitch perfect”.
Ireland’s ambassador to Washington, Dan Mulhall, has been in active contact and briefings on Irish Brexit concerns in the American political divide.
Brexit concerns
Irish insiders continue to see the benefits of the virtual state visit shown to Pelosi in Ireland last year with its high-profile endorsement of Ireland’s Brexit concerns, amplified this week by extensive coverage of Raab’s trip, along with support for Ireland in Washington. in the British media.
“All that London has achieved is more British awareness of the position that Nancy Pelosi has consistently held,” said a source in Dublin.
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