LEO READY TO GO ON U.S. CHARM OFFENSIVE AFTER POLL

THE Government is poised to launch a diplomatic charm offensive on the US in the aftermath of the US mid-term elections.

After the elections, ‘there should be aggressive engagement with the Friends of Ireland caucus in the US Congress to deepen links with newly elected members,’ says a memo due to be discussed in Cabinet today.

All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for election today, and the churn of Congress is certain to mean scores of new members there.

Many may be Democrats, since the midterms traditionally involve a haemorrhage from the party in power. Last March, after the St Patrick’s Day round of Ministerial trips, many to North America, the Government undertook to conduct a review of the vital US/Ireland relationship to identify strengths, weaknesses and any further actions necessary. The review notes that after Brexit, Ireland will be one of only two English-speaking countries in the EU (with Malta) and is already close to the US. It argues that Ireland can build on its bridging role between East and West for better US-EU relations. It will be brought to Cabinet today.