US Election: Raab 'Not Worried' UK-US Relationship Will Be Affected

The UK's special relationship with the US will continue regardless of who wins the presidential election, the Foreign Secretary has said.

Dominic Raab said the "bedrock" of the relationship between the two countries is based on strong economic, security and cultural ties.

However, he acknowledged the "contours" would be different depending on whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the election.

Mr Trump has been a staunch supporter of Brexit and a UK-US trade deal but a Biden administration is expected to be cooler on the idea.

Mr Biden, who has Irish ancestry, has publicly criticised the UK Government over its plan to tear up the Brexit divorce deal and break international law over the Northern Ireland protocol.

He has warned a UK-US trade deal is "contingent" on respect for the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to the island and the prevention of a return to a hard border.

But Mr Raab played down the prospect of a strained relationship under a Biden administration, telling Sky News: "I’m not worried about the relationship.

"The contours of the opportunities and the risks always shift a little bit, but that needs to be set against the context of this bedrock and this wider set of interests which are so strong."

He added he was "very confident that regardless of whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat win the British-US relationship is in great shape".

Mr Raab also said the Democrats take a "very close interest" in the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed while Bill Clinton was in the White House.

He said he had met Democrats and "explained the UK position and that actually we have been clear all along that there is no threat to the Good Friday Agreement".

It comes after Mr Biden warned in September: "We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit."

Asked about Mr Trump’s decision to go to the US Supreme Court to stop votes being counted, Mr Raab said: "We respect the values of democracy and the checks and balances reflected in the US system, which we are very confident will produce a result."

Mr Trump has claimed victory despite the election process not being over and has accused opponents of being involved in a "major fraud on our nation".

The Foreign Secretary told the BBC it is important to "wait and see how this uncertainty unfolds".

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy described Mr Trump's remarks as a "shocking".

The Democrats have also predicted they are going to win the election, with Mr Biden tweeting: "We feel good about where we are. We believe we are on track to win this election."

Cover image: Mr Trump and Mr Biden.