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Boris Johnson: Biden administration a ‘breath of fresh air’
And Adrian Hill has urged Boris Johnson to use the G7 summit to underline his determination to make good on the decision to sever ties with Brussels. Mr Hill was speaking after widespread reports suggested Mr Biden has ordered his officials to issue a “demarche”, defined as “a request or intercession with a foreign official” – for example, a request for support of a policy, or a protest about the host government’s policy or actions.
The move stems from Mr Biden’s concerns over Northern Ireland, with Yael Lampert, a senior official at the US embassy, reportedly telling chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost the UK Government was “inflaming” tensions in Northern Ireland.
However, Mr Hill, 80, who in the past has held diplomatic posts worked as a member of the Channel Tunnel team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the COBRA Committee of the Cabinet Office, was deeply unimpressed.
He told Express.co.uk: “Joe’s ordering a demarche by the US Charge means he’s rather stupidly taken sides with the EU.
Boris Johnson and Joe Biden pictured in Cornwall today (Image: GETTY)
Joe and Jill Biden shortly after arriving in the UK yesterday (Image: GETTY)
He told Express.co.uk: “Joe’s ordering a demarche by the US Charge means he’s rather stupidly taken sides with the EU.
“In a nutshell, the Biden Administration is ordering the British people to obey EU food rules forever and give up any idea of an independent trade policy.”
Mr Hill added: “It’s about the most inept bit of American diplomacy that I’ve seen for a long time.
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Joe Biden and Boris Johnson are at odds over the Northern Ireland Protocol (Image: GETTY)
Referring to the man for whom Mr Biden served as Vice President for eight years, Mr Hill said: “This stinks of Obama’s arrogance and antipathy towards us.
“Not to mention Hillary’s genius. Bring back Bill Clinton.”
Mr Johnson and Mr Biden will meet at the G7 conference in Cornwall today, at which point they will agree a new Atlantic Charter, modelled on the historic statement made by Churchill and Roosevelt on the post-war world order.
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Barack Obama hugs Joe Biden at the latter’s inauguration (Image: GETTY)
Lord David Frost is seeking concessions from the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol (Image: GETTY)
However, Mr Hill said the Prime Minister should also take the opportunity to deliver a pointed reminder to the former Delaware senator and other world leaders about his pledge to “Get Brexit Done”.
He explained: “Boris should tell the G7 that the people voted for Brexit and that’s what he’s delivering.
“Meanwhile I think the people should express their contempt by boycotting all EU made products whenever possible. Let’s fix the trade balance ourselves.”
Speaking today, a senior US administration official insisted Mr Biden had not come to Britain to lecture Prime Minister Boris Johnson about Northern Ireland and was not looking to be confrontational or adversarial.
A history of US Presidents (Image: Express)
He added: “He didn’t come here to give a lecture.
“He came here to communicate what he believes very, very deeply about peace in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Biden himself tweeted: “Today, I’ll be meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 Summit in Cornwall.
“I look forward to affirming the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom and discussing how we’ll tackle our shared challenges together in the years ahead.”
Adrian Hill is a former British diplomat (Image: Adrian Hill)
Nevertheless, he is widely expected to tell the Prime Minister not to let the row over Northern Ireland’s Brexit arrangements put the Good Friday Agreement at risk when the pair meet on Thursday.
Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin also waded into the row today, saying: Mr Martin said: “I think it’s significant in the context of the messaging, and the clear message from President Biden and his administration that the sensible thing to do here is to have alignment between the United Kingdom and the European Union and the United States.
“We all share common values of democracies, that’s the clear message I get from President Biden.
“Therefore I think he’s saying to the United Kingdom, look, let’s do the sensible thing here.”
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