By Tony O’Reilley-
A U.S Congressman has warned that a bilateral trade deal between the US and the UK will not progress while the Northern Ireland peace deal is being used for domestic political purposes.
Richard Neal, the chairman of the ways and means committee, has been keeping close eyes on developments associated with Brexit and condemned proceedings between Britain and the EU just over a week ago when he criticized the decision to extend the grace period for custom checks between Northern Ireland and Britain, describing the move as “arbitrary and capricious”.
Neil, who will have the greatest sway in any trade deal between Britain and the United States in his capacity as chair of the Ways and Means Committee has always been emphatic in his position that the Belfast Agreement must be respected, and has repeatedly accused the UK of breaching its agreement.
Last week, he told the Irish Times that President Biden has made his position clear, and that Nancy Pelosi and himself had reinforced it. Now, the influential congressman has told the UK Guardian that he has considered leading an American delegation to Dublin and London to reinforce his message about the peace deal and stability in Northern Ireland.
He expressed concern that the protocol is being used to hold the Good Friday agreement hostage,” insisting that the argument being applied by some is ”reckless and demagogic.”
Clearly stating that a bilateral trade agreement with the UK is desirable , he said he was not ” open to holding the Good Friday agreement hostage over domestic politics.”
An enthusiast in Northern Ireland issues over the past three decades, he is a key figure in US trade deals with an impressive track record, including negotiating the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Neal said he had been assured from both the Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis last week and Boris Johnson on a recent trip to Washington that the Good Friday agreement would not be jeopardized.
“Two generations of children have grown up in a different atmosphere than what the north looked like 30 years ago.
“I think we need to remind everybody of the risks and the chances that were taken by all parties to get to the Good Friday agreement. We should be celebrating it as a template for the world order.”
“The last thing we want to do is jeopardise that spectacular agreement,” he said.
The dispute over Northern Ireland was “one of the longest in the history of the western world” said Neal, and “we came up with an agreement”.
“That agreement has withstood 24 years and it has received great scrutiny.”
He added he had heard no argument so far that suggested “there would be a quid pro quo of the protocol for changes in the Good Friday agreement”.
His latest warning will be food for thought for the UK government, given its historical alliance with the U.S.
These might be true testing times for that special relationship which dates back several decades, and calls for a proper reflection for the UK’s current position on the Good Friday Agreement.