UK will be out on a limb if Biden wins US presidency

Sir, – It is inevitable that the predicted election of Joe Biden as US president next week will lead to a further decline of the UK’s global standing.

Where formerly the UK was Europe’s “centre of gravity” in the eyes of US, a post-Brexit Britain will be replaced by Paris and Berlin, while the UK will be seen very much as an outlier, sitting on the sidelines.

Both economically and in security terms the UK has burnt its bridges through Brexit and will not have the same prominence as it used to in Washington.

It is no wonder that commentators have pointed to the fact Prime Minister Johnson is willing on a Trump victory to decide on whether to leave the European Union with or without a trade deal.

The British Government will face a major challenge in building relations with Biden’s team, who view Brexit as a risk to the EU’s stability

Biden already sent a warning shot last month, when he tweeted that “the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland” cannot become “a casualty of Brexit”.

The UK must therefore prepare for a Biden administration that keeps a particularly close eye on how Brexit affects Ireland, given the Irish influence in the Democratic Party and Biden’s own background.

Through the foolishness of Brexit, the UK has put itself out of an influential position in the EU and delivered a further blow to its standing on the global stage.

Alex Orr. Marchmont Road, Edinburgh.