No chance of US-UK deal if Northern Ireland peace at risk - Pelosi
Source: The Guardian
No chance of US-UK deal if Northern Ireland peace at risk Pelosi
Senior US politician says Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil Good Friday agreement
Julian Borger in Washington
Wed 14 Aug 2019 17.06 BST First published on Wed 14 Aug 2019 14.00 BST
There is no chance of Congress approving a US-UK trade agreement if Brexit undermines the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has said.
Pelosi was restating the entrenched position of congressional Democrats and many Republicans in the wake of remarks made by Donald Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, during a visit to London this week.
Bolton had said that Britain and the US could sign interim, partial free trade deals, one sector at a time, which would go through the a fast track legislative process, to help the UK cope economically if there is a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
In a statement on Wednesday, the House speaker, who commands a Democratic majority, warned that the Trump administration would not be able to sidestep congressional approval.
Whatever form it takes, Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil the Good Friday agreement, including the seamless border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, especially now, as the first generation born into the hope of Good Friday 21 years ago comes into adulthood. Pelosi said. We cannot go back.
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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/14/no-chance-of-us-uk-deal-if-northern-ireland-peace-at-risk-pelosi