Sunday, November 08, 2020

But westward, look, the land is bright

Joe Biden's victory in the American Presidential election feels like the first bit of good  news in a long while.

For the present, at least, it seems as though its not just Donald Trump who has been defeated and diminished, but whole worldwide far-right populist movement.

Besides this powerful symbolism, the American people will now enjoy better government and the wider world will benefit from the US rejoining the Western mainstream. Biden has already announced that the US will rejoin the Paris climate agreement, for instance..

And we in Britain may be brought to our senses.

The idea that a trade agreement with the US could take the place of our membership of the single market was always a fantasy. Unlike Trump, Biden is likely to tell us that.

He will also make it clear that there will be no agreement of any sort if Britain refuses to fulfil its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement.

Sometimes you need a candid friend and Britain is in that position now. We must hope that Biden will prove such a friend.

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