Pelosi reaffirms US support for Ireland amid Brexit impasse
US house of representatives speaker warns US-UK trade relations will be threatened if Brexit deal imperils the Good Friday accord
Dublin — The US would not agree to any trade deal with Britain if future Brexit arrangements undermine peace in Ireland, US house of representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday during a visit to Dublin. Reaffirming a message of US solidarity with Ireland first delivered in a speech on Monday in London, Pelosi said it was vital to keep a “seamless border” between the Irish Republic and British-ruled Northern Ireland after the UK exits the EU. Her comments are likely to irk some members of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party whose insistence on a “clean” break with the EU’s customs union and single market have raised the prospect of new border controls on the island of Ireland. They also want a new trade deal with the US. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we must ensure that nothing happens in the Brexit discussions that imperils the Good Friday accord, including, but not limited to, the seamless border between the Irish Republic and Northern I...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.