UK Push for NI Protocol Linked to US Trade Talks, Biden Visit

The Financial Times described a move by the UK Caucus in Congress to expedite US-UK trade negotiations

as a public relations coup linked to the release of the Windsor Framework document. The ‘special relationship’ bill would give the President “fast track” powers to accelerate any US-UK trade negotiations that have languished since Brexit.

Chairman Corcoran noted: “Britain’s undermining the Good Friday Agreement and its sinister manipulation of democracy in NI Protocol debate mimics practices promised by Boris Johnson. He claimed that Britain would “have its cake and eat it” with Brexit.” This has meant the UK ignores EU treaty obligations and the Good Friday Agreement. For example, claiming to be a ‘special friend’ of America, the British: (1) promote minority corruption of democracy in NI; (2) ignore GFA obligations to consult the Irish government and hold an Irish Unity poll; (3) advance a law that would cover-up NI security forces collusion with loyalist terrorists in the killing of 1000 innocent Irish civilians and absolve all liability for the lawlessness; and (4) promise to repeal the 1998 Human Rights act of 1998, a key component of the GFA.

“Senator’s Thune (R-SD) and Coons (D-DE) appear anxious to rescue Britain from the self-inflicted wound of Brexit”, stated Michael Cummings, Secretary, “and less concerned with making our partners for peace in Ireland accountable for their role in State sponsored terror and injustice.” Fast tracking anything for the British government at this point is unnecessary because there is no evidence changes in the Protocol will be accepted by the DUP loyalists or that the UK will abide by its new provisions. It must be remembered in a March 8, 2022 EU Court of Justice decision, Britain from 2011-2019 undervalued China imported goods below the lowest accessible price and has yet to pay the $2 billion fine thus imposed. Stated Cummings: “Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) has stated clearly that restoring democratic government in the North is paramount to a Presidential visit.”

“The trade priorities of the United States are currently with the EU, China, India and less so with the UK with which the US has an annual deficit in goods, concluded Corcoran, “and a rush to pick up the pace of trade negotiations with the Thune-Coons bill may seem to be more like a bail-out of the British Conservative Brexiteers than a good deal for the American people”.