Raab rejects claim that UK was ‘lukewarm’ towards Biden victory

FOREIGN SECRETARY Dominic Raab has denied the UK Government was “lukewarm” to Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election.

SNP MP David Linden (Glasgow East) asked if Ministers regretted “cosying up” to Donald Trump and “kowtowing to him and legitimising him and his racist, climate change-denying rhetoric”.

Speaking at Foreign Office questions, Mr Raab insisted the UK had been “clear” in condemning violent scenes which saw a pro-Trump mob storm the Capitol

in an attempt to disrupt the proceedings to confirm Mr Biden’s election victory.

Mr Raab told the Commons: “We made clear that the scenes by a small but ugly minority in Washington were disgraceful. We also made clear we had the full confidence in the system of checks and balances in the US to provide a definitive result and a smooth transition and we look forward to working with the new administration.”

He earlier told MPs: “The resumption of Congress and the certification of Joe Biden’s victory on January 7 sent an essential message that the democratic will of the US people cannot be challenged by a violent minority.”

Labour’s Shadow Foreign Office Minister Catherine West also asked: “Does the Foreign Secretary believe this violent episode has damaged democracy and what urgent steps can be taken to mend that sense that our Government

was lukewarm around the election time and failed to uphold that sense of democracy?”

Mr Raab replied: “The UK was not lukewarm and she must have missed the Prime Minister’s statement where he was very clear about what President Trump should have done.”