Hung Out To Dry

The United States moves to the center stage as Brexit negotiations move to their endgame. In an act of self-delusion, Boris Johnson and the British government ignored the bipartisan warning from Congress that a trade deal with the US would not happen unless the Good Friday Agreement was protected and a hard border in Ireland was prevented. Boris Johnson has acknowledged the election results and is seeking to speak with President-elect Biden. That might be quite the call. During the campaign, Joe Biden made clear that his and the United States' priority is protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

Boris Johnson had assured his supporters that leaving the EU would be replaced by a trade deal with the US. While that was always questionable, he now has no place left to hide.

He can either do the right thing and protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent a hard border or be left without a trade deal with the European Union and the United States. This should really not be a difficult choice.

Last night former British Prime Minister and Tory Party leader John Major said about Brexit, “Fiction defeated fact and fostered a belief in a past that never was – whilst boosting enthusiasm for a future that may never be.”

The EU has made clear that the negotiations must end by mid-November. Fact and reality have caught up with British government fantasy. The US position is loud and clear, but will Britain listen? The coming days will tell.