Joe Biden warns UK to 'respect' Good Friday Agreement or risk no trade deal

Joe Biden has warned that any future trade deals with the United States could be on the line if the UK doesn’t “respect” the Good Friday Agreement.

The Democratic party candidate for president shared his concern over the UK Government’s latest Brexit legislation, saying he would not allow the Agreement to become a “casualty of Brexit”.

He said that any trade deal between the US and UK is “contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.”

Biden’s remarks follow a series of warnings from senior American political figures, including Democrat speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who this week warned that there would be “absolutely no chance” of a US-UK trade deal passing Congress if the Good Friday Agreement is undermined.

The concern for the Good Friday Agreement comes after the UK Government introduced its UK Internal Market Bill to parliament last week.

The Bill seeks to define how goods and standards will be regulated after the UK leaves the EU’s Common Market at the end of the year.

Controversy stems from aspects of the bill would allow the UK to override sections of the EU Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland and trade, which the UK Government has admitted “breaks international law”.

Two of the UK’s senior most legal advisers have quit their positions in response to the proposed legislation.

Biden’s intervention comes as UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab is visiting the US to meet senior political figures to reassure them about the UK’s progress on Brexit.