Is Boris Johnson Heading On A Brexit Collision Course With Joe Biden?

The ministers insist that incoming US President Joe Biden is wrong in believing that Boris Johnson is putting peace in Northern Ireland at risk by threatening to breach parts of the Brexit deal.

The prime minister promised to go ahead with legislation giving him the power to override the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU despite an expected defeat in the Lords tonight.

The peers were ready to vote in favor of a motion to remove the most controversial parts of the UK internal market bill.

But the government insisted it will simply reinstate any removed parts of the bill when it returns to the Commons next month, despite the risk that this could create early tensions with Biden.

The prime minister promised to go ahead with legislation giving him the power to override the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU despite an expected defeat in the Lords tonight.

The president-elect, proud of his Irish heritage, has criticized the bill, which seeks to change Northern Ireland-related issues in the Withdrawal Agreement if trade negotiations with the EU fail.

During his election campaign, he warned that a trade agreement with the United States is “conditional” on preventing a return to a hard border on the island of Ireland and said the peace process cannot “become a victim of Brexit.”

Cabinet Minister George Eustice suggested yesterday that Biden had bought a “cartoon” of the government’s plans and was wrong in thinking that they could pose a threat to the peace process.

Instead, the environment secretary insisted the bill was designed to protect the Good Friday deal from the risk of trade between Britain and Northern Ireland being disrupted in the event of no deal with the EU.

When asked about Biden’s concerns, Eustice told BBC Radio 4’s Today show that if people understood “ exactly what this bill was about rather than how it is sometimes caricatured, ” they would see that his The intention was to protect the peace process.

“This is about providing legal clarity, legal certainty and protecting the internal market in the UK, but fundamentally supporting the Belfast agreement,” he said.

The ministers insist that incoming US President Joe Biden is wrong in believing that Boris Johnson is putting peace in Northern Ireland at risk by threatening to breach parts of the Brexit deal.

“This bill tries to protect the Belfast agreement by ensuring that we have economic and social stability in Northern Ireland. It’s about protecting it and not undermining it. ‘

In the Lords, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby expressed concern that the bill “does not take into account the sensitivities and complexities of Northern Ireland and could have serious and unintended consequences for peace and reconciliation.”

The archbishop noted that he had previously said that the main objective of the Lords was “to amend and improve legislation, not to derail it.” He added: ‘But I think I was wrong to say that. There is an even more vital role that is upholding the rule of law and protecting the balance of power and peace in our Union. It is about the core values ​​by which we stand and live as a nation, now and for years to come. “

Former Conservative leader Lord Howard said: ‘How can we blame other countries – Russia, China, Iran – if their behavior becomes reprehensible when we ourselves have so little regard for the treaties we sign, when we ourselves set such a sorry example? ‘

In The Lords, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby expressed concern that the bill “ does not take into account the sensibilities and complexities of Northern Ireland and could have serious and unintended consequences for peace and reconciliation ” (Image archive)

Former Chancellor Lord Clarke said the government’s drafting of the legislation was “a Donald Trump-like gesture.” He claimed that the bill was “inherently ridiculous and deeply damaging to the reputation of this country.”

Before the Lords debate, No. 10 defended the legislation. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “MPs backed the internal market bill by 340 votes to 263 in September and our position remains that the clauses are a vital safety net.

“We have made it clear that, as a responsible government, we cannot allow the UK peace process or internal markets to be compromised without realizing the unintended consequences of the protocol.

“Any amendment from the Lords will be considered when they return to the House of Commons, but we consider these provisions to be a vital safety net.”

The bill is not expected to return to the Commons until early December, as it has more stages to clear in the Lords.

There have been suggestions that Downing Street could avoid a clash with the White House by leaving the legislation without reinserting the clauses if a trade deal with the EU is negotiated.