US intervenes in Brexit row

Leading politicians from both parties in the US Congress warned British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during his visit to Washington that the UK should not violate the Brexit withdrawal agreement with the EU. In the event of a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the US Congress could not approve any trade agreement with Britain, they said. Commentators are hardly surprised by this firm stance.

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New Statesman (GB) /

Irish lobby showing its teeth

Ireland has always had a relatively high status in US politics, New Statesman notes:

“That intimate stake in the peace talks is a direct result of a long history of Irish emigration to the US, and the ongoing bond between the two nations as a result. ... The Irish-American link means that the Irish nationalist interest has a voice at home and away: not just in Ireland, but in the heart of the US Congress. ... The UK and US cooperate deeply on defence and security matters, but, when it comes to passing a trade deal through congress, the relationship that matters is the one with Ireland.”

The Daily Telegraph (GB) /

Our interests betrayed once again

The frequently evoked "special relationship" between the UK and the US hasn't done Britain much good vis-à-vis Europe, The Daily Telegraph complains:

“What did the 'special relationship' mean for America's attitude towards British membership of the EU? Very little it seems - the Americans had the effrontery to adopt a policy that it was in their own national interest for Britain to remain. They worked from long before we went in, right up until the moment we escaped, to keep us in. ... Every argument for leaving the EU - we don't want to do what you want to and we don't need to - applies with still greater force to the one way street of the 'special relationship'.”