Joe Biden issues Brexit warning in call with Boris Johnson

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks before participating in a roundtable discussion with veterans. Photograph: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky.

Despite failing to mention it in his tweet, Boris Johnson was forced to talk Brexit with new president-elect Joe Biden.

A spokesperson for the Democratic politician said that in the 25-minute telephone call there was a discussion about upholding the Good Friday Agreement, after Biden insisted it was essential to any future trade deal between the US and UK.

“They talked about the importance of implementing Brexit in such a way that upholds the Good Friday Agreement,” one British official told the FT. “The PM assured the president-elect that would be the case.”

Biden “reaffirmed his support for the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland”, his team added.

Glossing over this, a Number 10 spokesperson said “the prime minister warmly congratulated Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States.

“The prime minister also conveyed his congratulations to vice president-elect Kamala Harris on her historic achievement.

“They discussed the close and longstanding relationship between our countries and committed to building on this partnership in the years ahead, in areas such as trade and security – including through NATO.

“The prime minister and president-elect also looked forward to working closely together on their shared priorities, from tackling climate change, to promoting democracy, and building back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

“The prime minister invited the president-elect to attend the COP26 climate change summit that the UK is hosting in Glasgow next year. They also looked forward to seeing each other in person, including when the UK hosts the G7 Summit in 2021.”