If elected, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden is reportedly set to prioritise ties with the European Union over the historic “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom that has been promoted by President Donald Trump.
Anthony Gardner, an advisor to the Biden campaign and former U.S. ambassador to the EU, said that if the ageing former vice president wins the election, the incoming administration would announce a “declaration of support for the European Union”.
“If Biden is elected, I believe quickly, perhaps first day, [there will be a] declaration of support for the European Union, declaration of support for European integration, declaration of support in favour of NATO, the lynchpin of the trans-Atlantic alliance, which has been weakened because of this administration’s policies,” Gardner reportedly said at a meeting in Angela Merkel’s Germany, according to The Telegraph.
Gardner, who is believed to be in the running to become the next American ambassador in London, added: “Here’s a dramatic difference: Donald Trump has only believed that the U.S.-UK link was important, he was a cheerleader for Brexit. Joe Biden believes that the triangle of relationships, U.S.-UK, UK-EU, U.S. and EU, all have to work together, and you will see statements to that effect.”
At the gathering in Germany, Gardner told the audience: “I won’t talk about Brexit, I’ve lived it, everyone’s bored by it, Europe needs to move on. It’s the biggest own-goal that I’ve seen in my lifetime.”
“And all of the analysis that we did under the Obama administration, which were intensive, we looked at all the areas of our interaction with Europe… our conclusion was that in almost every area Brexit would be negative for the United States, for Europe, and for the UK. That analysis I believe has proven to be correct,” he added — rather contradicting his earlier statement that “I won’t talk about Brexit.”
Mr Gardner said that while he sits on several of the Biden campaign’s foreign policy groups, including those dealing with the European Union, he said that he was making the comments as a “private citizen” and not as an official statement from the campaign.
Joe Biden has been a longstanding opponent to the pro-sovereignty Brexit movement in the United Kingdom, saying in 2016 after the results of the EU referendum: “I must say we preferred a different outcome.”
“Had I been a Member of Parliament, had I been a British citizen, I would have voted against leaving,” Biden reiterated in 2018.
Foreign policy advisors for the Biden team have reportedly been pressing for the 77-year-old Democrat to announce the end of tariffs placed on the EU by the Trump administration.
It is also believed that Biden would use the NATO summit in the spring to kick off a diplomatic tour of Europe, which at this time does not include the United Kingdom.
In October, sources within Number 10 Downing Street said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, fearful of a Trump defeat, have begun wooing members of the Biden campaign, as “they’re writing off Trump in No 10 now”.
Brexit leader Nigel Farage warned that the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit economic future hinges on President Trump securing re-election, saying in October: “The special relationship is vital for post-Brexit Britain and will only be safe in Trump’s hands.”
“Whether you like Trump’s style or not, one thing is for certain; that this is the most Pro-British President for many years. By contrast, Joe Biden was Obama’s deputy when he said Britain would be back of the queue if we dared to vote for Brexit,” the Brexit leader said.
Mr Farage added that Biden “is keener on the relationship with Ireland than he is with us, sees Brexit as a mistake and I do not see any prospect of a free trade deal with the USA under President Joe Biden.”
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here: @KurtZindulka
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