Just after President Biden’s inauguration, we learned that Queen Elizabeth II had sent Biden a private letter congratulating him and saying words about the British-American “special relationship.” I thought this was shady for a number of reasons, one of which is that it struck me as entirely too “political” for a Queen who uses her courtiers and henchmen to shame the Duchess of Sussex for simply encouraging people to vote and reject hate. It was also striking because… there wasn’t much said about Prime Minister Boris Johnson making any kind of special effort to make a pledge to work with President Biden. BoJo and Biden did speak after the election, and Johnson did make a statement in defense of a peaceful transfer of power in America, as many horror-struck European leaders did following Donald Trump’s incitement of the Jan. 6th insurrection. It seemed like BoJo was finally breaking with Trump in significant ways.
All that being said, Biden and Johnson’s relationship has been historically rocky. Boris was racist to and about Barack Obama. Biden was anti-Brexit, Boris is pro. Biden referred to Boris as Donald Trump’s “physical and emotional clone” in 2019. On the day of the inauguration, the Guardian reported that there were some concerns in Boris Johnson’s camp that Biden is too “woke,” because British people hate wokeness, apparently. So… that’s probably why the Johnson government requested that the Queen do some bridge-building with the Biden administration. Now we’re learning that President Biden made a White House call to Johnson.
Great to speak to President @JoeBiden this evening. I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/Y4P3G74PPz
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 23, 2021
This was not Biden’s first call to another country’s leader since the inauguration. Biden’s first call was to Justin Trudeau, which I’m sure was a relief to Trudeau and all Canadians. America is still the “meth lab in the basement” to Canada, but at least we’ve got Grandpa Joe trying to shut down the meth lab malarkey. As for Johnson and Biden’s call, obviously Biden believes in strengthening NATO alliances, which are in tatters following Trump’s steady dismantling of the historic alliance (at Russia’s bidding). And now the conversation has turned to when the Queen will host Irish Joe:
As Donald Trump’s tumultuous presidency drifts into history, Buckingham Palace confirmed this week that the queen had called Joe Biden to offer him her congratulations prior to Biden’s inauguration. Its exact contents, as always with HM’s private conversations, are a mystery and shall remain so. Attention now will turn to when the Bidens will make a state visit to Britain. And it is very much a case of when, not if. The queen’s reign has seen 13 American presidents, and she has met them all except Lyndon B. Johnson.
However, with the world still battling the coronavirus pandemic, and the queen having hardly seen anyone outside of a small bubble for almost a year now, it seems hugely unlikely a state visit will be organized this year.
Positive signs that relations between the U.K. and the US could flourish in the new era are to be found in the fact that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the recipient of Joe Biden’s first international phone call to another head of state outside of the Americas on Saturday evening. Downing Street said Johnson congratulated Biden on his inauguration and that the two leaders looked forward to “deepening the close alliance” between their nations.
The call is said to have been a source of some relief in Downing Street: Johnson’s Brexit cheerleading went down badly with Biden’s camp, Johnson called Obama “part-Kenyan” in 2016 and Biden once described Johnson as a “physical and emotional clone” of Trump.
I guess the new palace spin is that the Queen didn’t like welcoming the Trump family to the UK several times, but at the time, the Queen seemed happy enough about it. So did BoJo. Anyway, I think President Biden genuinely wants to re-strengthen NATO alliances and rebuild our relationships with European allies. But I bet he can’t stand Boris and I doubt Biden gives a f–k about the Queen’s pomp.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
If the Queen could handle a visit from Martin McGuinness she will be absolutely fine with Irish Joe.
I didnt actually think she looked that thrilled with the Trumps, Trump actually walked in front of her when they were looking at some military nonsense (even protocol aside its rude to walk ahead of an older lady). I think even if the Queen aligned to any of D Trumps politics she’d have hated how uncouth he was (and the extended clan he brought with him for the jolly).
I agree. She seemed pretty annoyed with Trump most of the time. Some people point to pictures with her smiling, but I’ve kinda always assumed she was laughing at him or a little drunk. There were plenty of articles in the press before the visit about how parliament was trying to prevent a state visit because the Queen didn’t want a state visit. Like, it was a huge back and forth for months. In the end, she did what she had to do, but all the other Royals were allowed to keep their distance as much as possible. People also insist she’s pro-Brexit, but she was pretty pissed off about it in the beginning. All the pro-Brexit stuff came after it was clear that Britain couldn’t get out of it.
Yeah, the Queen has met with all kinds of controversial leaders, including Robert Mugabe and Mobutu Sese Seko. She wears a tiara and smiles for photos because that is her role, so Trump was no exception. Who knows how she really feels? The only time I think I have ever seen her genuinely smile is when she’s at the horse races! That’s what she really loves.
He was also late, kept her waiting outside Windsor Castle for about 10-15mins and then he walked in front of her when he was reviewing the guard with her.
Well duh, that man thinks he’s the most important person in the world so of course he didn’t think twice about being late or walking wherever he wanted. He. Does. Not. Care.
Biden is visiting Ireland (ROI) first, because he’s proud of being from there via his ancestors. Also, I don’t think he forgets how the Tories and Johnson were willing to break international law re: the Good Friday Agreement.
Honestly, the UK has nothing to offer anyone at the moment.
At least you gave us Prince Harry and Spice Girls.
I hope he visits NI also, seeing as he has underlined the US govts commitment to upholding the GFA, and the role the Clinton administration had in bringing it about.
NI Lord recently referred to Kamala as ‘the Indian’. I believe he was asking what would happen if Biden died in office. Refused to apologize.
Oh please! He THREATENED to break international law (much laughter about those who believe sabre rattling!) It worked. He broke the stand off with the EU.
I dont think Joe Biden ever threatened to break international law? He censured Boris Johnson when he tried to break international law over the NI Protocol/ Internal market bill though if that’s what you mean?
Another reason why Biden should visit NI, he’s a hero to many 🙂
mynameispearl……I was replying to duchess of hazard’s comment that Boris Johnson was willing to break international law re: the Good Friday Agreement. Thus, sabre rattling to bring Merkel and Macron to heel. It worked 😂
“Thus, sabre rattling to bring Merkel and Macron to heel. It worked ”
Lol you mean they didn’t fall for it, the trade deal all went to the EU’s advantage….
AlpineWitch……er NO 😁
Killfanora, oh yes, given the diaspora of businesses upping sticks and going to the EU because of VAT charges and customs forms.
The UK is still in our Trump 2.0 sh!tshow moment – at some point the Tories will turn on Boris but what concerns me is who they will put in his place?
I personally would like to see another Gen Election this year but unlikely to happen – if there is one Starmer will win by a landslide.
Starmer has disappointed me a bit, I wish he was a bit more radical/ passionate. I like that he is smart and not a conman like Johnson, but I wish he could employ some populist tricks, he needs to build popularity, for some reason people vote with their hearts and not their heads.
Also yes, if the Tories get rid of Johnson we will get Gove/ Raab/ Sunak- all of whom would be absolutely awful. Its depressing that we have another 4 years of this shit.
“if there is one Starmer will win by a landslide.”
I wish I had your optimism.
“I wish he could employ some populist tricks, ”
Pandering to the right? No thank you, that hasn’t worked in the USA and it wouldn’t work in UK either.
@alpinewitch I definitely dont want him to pander to the right, pander to the left if anything! I actually just mean he nearly needs to (this will sound bad) but act a bit more ‘man of the people’s as bullshit as that is. Boris Johnson is practically aristocracy and has managed to pull this trick off, Starmer is actually from normal roots and the media try to spin like he is the one born with the silver spoon in his mouth. As dumb as it is, catchy shit works
Look at Brexit, the remain side calmly laid out the case for staying in the EU, pages and pages of it. The Leave side ‘Take Back Control’.
The last general election, we had labour campaigning on all sorts of stuff, nothing cohesive, what the tories do ‘Get Brexit Done’. Jeremy Corbyn obviously was massively unpopular, but Starmer hasn’t made up as much ground as she should have. Boris has delivered a fuck up of a Brexit and 100000 dead from Covid, Starmers numbers should be way up.
I dont like how the Tories operate, but maybe we on the labour side need to try to beat them at their own game.
I think you are right in everything except the part where Starmer should pander to these people. Someone who’s geared towards voting for tradition and conservatism will keep doing so. Same with rac-ist gammons.
I mean, I’ve always voted for parties on the left, I didn’t like Jezza C. but I voted for him regardless, held my nose. You wouldn’t catch me voting for a right-wing politicians in a million years….
It was amazing to see over the weekend the British press so excited that Biden called Boris before Macron and Merkel. I don’t think it really means anything and there are people in the Biden Administration who still remember Boris being racist to Obama. Biden has said he can wait to visit Ireland, nothing about the UK and I suspect if there is a visit to the UK it would be Kamala making that trip not Biden.
World leaders have to get along with other world leaders even if they don’t personally like them. So if they ever meet through a US state dinner for example (most US state dinners invite the PM over the royals) then they’ll be polite for the cameras and press.
The thought of Dr Biden having to make conversation with Kate “can you smell it by smelling it” Middleton, amuses me to no end.
Or Dr. Biden’s face when Kate talks about her 5 Questions initiative! 😂😂😂
BoJo is a racist populist and opportunist. It makes sense not to ignore us here in the UK but as the US I would be watching to see how far adrift we end up post-Brexit and how much influence we actually retain. I doubt it will be much!
The UK is angling to become a rule maker much like the US, Russia, China and the EU.
It has ZERO chance. All that ambition is built on Bozo’s obsession with Churchill and Empire. The countries which once formed the Empire now have faster growing GDP’s than the UK and the prospect of better alliances with other trading blocks.
The effects of Brexit are already being felt and spun by the UK. We’ve literally become pariahs because of our mutant strain and now cannot travel anywhere. So we’re stuck on Brexit Island so we are forced to spend our money here to stimulate the economy bc don;t get any ideas of buying anything as you’ll be stung with an import tax to swell the UK coffers.
I wonder how long it will take for the Brexiters to start whining about everything and wanting back into the EU. I know of a few for whom the reality has literally just struck in relation to the partners profession – one’s husband used to work a lot in Europe earning very good money, now the work has pretty much dried up and she’s whining about EU red tape. My reply to her is always ‘well you voted for this’ but whether or not she understood what she was voting for is another conversation.
“I wonder how long it will take for the Brexiters to start whining about everything and wanting back into the EU”
They’re already whining but I doubt they will want to rejoin the EU block, they are full of too much English exceptionalism to let them admit that.
I’m unemployed now (I used to work in the EU through British companies) but my unemployment started with the pandemic anyway.
I’d bet there will be thousands of businesses going bankrupt by the end of 2021.
Rejoicing for calls from Biden will do nothing to stem the race towards mass bankruptcy. It’s so sad.
Biden will work with Boris obviously but that doesnt mean he has to like him and I think everyone involved knows that. The pandemic gives a convenient excuse for not traveling or hosting state visits.
It’s simple diplomacy.
For context read the message to Merkel and Macron. We are of no use to Biden on the world stage anymore. We’re just a small back water Island with ambitions of grandeur and empire.
Hubris will soon put paid to that.
Regardless of where Biden visits first, Bojo is dreaming if he thinks the US will prioritize relations with the UK over the EU. Brexit really limited their pull when it comes to US foreign policy
Not necessarily. The EU – China deal could make relations much more awkward.
As well as the EU threatening to impost strict export controls on the Pfizer vaccine outside of the bloc to ensure they are getting their orders first – they are pulling a Trump move with that one and it is blowing up in their faces. There has been issues with the Pfizer/BioNtech production process that has caused delays with orders and a reduction on what has been originally promised.
https://news.sky.com/story/uk-access-to-pfizer-jab-threatened-as-eu-imposes-new-controls-on-covid-vaccine-exports-12198979
It’s only the Pfizer vaccine that is made in the EU. Moderna is made in the US and the AstraZeneca one is made in the UK.
“Moderna is made in the US and the AstraZeneca one is made in the UK.”
The AstraZeneca is also made in the EU, I think Belgium and the Netherlands?
So I don’t think they pulled a Trump’s move, they just want the production lines to fulfil the orders. The one in UK is on time and gov just said the orders are on time for the UK, so I’d bet that’s what has crossed the EU.
@AlpineWitch – when this broke last night, there were quotes from German officials that were saying they wanted to ensure that the EU bloc got their orders fulfilled first before orders were sent out to other countries. The pharma companies are cutting delivery amounts to everyone as they can’t make enough quick enough. The UK already had our first order of the Pfizer drug halved (I think).
The vaccine rollout in the EU has been worse than the mess in the UK.
I think the AstraZeneca one is also made in India and they have said that their orders are on time.
I agree that they are probably pissed our order is on time, they were pretty pissed that the UK approved it first. FFS people are dying, put the willy away and work with the pharma companies to get the vaccine out to EVERYONE.
Hi DigUnic. I just read an interview of the CEO of AstraZeneca and he says that his plants in the EU are delaying the doses while the ones in UK didn’t, as they started 3 months earlier but then, as you said, he says that his other plants in Brazil or India are on time.
One does wonder what’s going on and it’s a little fishy.
@AlpineWitch – i read this morning it was due to the EU delaying the signing of the contracts, the UK signed their contract 3 months ago and I think the EU only signed theirs recently but expected to get their orders very quickly soon after. He also said that there were issues with the production process/setup that have for the most part now been ironed out – it seems more like the EU was caught with their pants down over how long it took them to finalise/sign the paperwork and are trying to blame the pharma companies.
So in short, everyone else’s orders are on time as they signed their contracts quickly. The EU took too long.
I doubt it’s unusual for the Queen to send a letter to a new head of state, it probably just doesn’t usually get publicised.
Yes, Boris is a racist, misogynist, privileged arsehole. No change there.
However, Boris is not historically (personally) pro-Brexit. The Conservative Party have backed themselves into the corner of having to complete Brexit despite what they personally think about it, thanks to David Cameron’s f*ckwittery. (Cameron can burn in hell for that referendum.) They are saving face by pretending to actually believe it’s the right thing to do.
Yes, for some reason the UK is seeing widespread backlash about wokeness. I’ve had about enough of listening to people bitch about how they refuse to have the “woke agenda” forced upon them.
In case you’re wondering, the woke agenda includes such concepts as:
– racism is not cool
– colonialism wasn’t as great for the civilisations they crushed as it was for the British Empire
– someone else’s gender identity is none of your business
– Meghan & Harry (… anything!)
– Covid lockdown rules save lives, which is worth it even if the economy takes longer to recover and the lives saved are “mostly old people”
Trace back the dark money and you will understand why the anti-wokeness is a thing.
Brexit and Trump were all part of a package the UK stupidly bought into. The populists instead ended up with egg on their face.
I do not see Boris as a racist. He’s an opportunist. Farage is a racist.
Boris is firmly a racist.
Calling black people picanninies with water melon smiles.
Refusing to confirm that he thought black people were equally as intelligent as whites.
Having a cabinet and advisors littered with Eugenicist’s.
Do you want me to go on….?
Both of them are racist
must be pretty annoying to Joe to have to put things in places they were when he left the White House before getting to real exciting things like building on what great things have already been in place a few years back and needed to be developed further
Aww, i was hoping for Champ and Major to come with them 🙂
How about Pres B gets his vice K to ask queen petty what’s up with the shitty treatment of your grandson Harry and his colored family
Omg, yes!
Apparently trump was cool with, and probably approved of, the rf bullying a black american out of the country.
The Queen didn’t like Trump, you could tell from her facial expressions being around him and in that one shot where he’s walking in front of her. If he had been a gentleman, he would have let her walk in front of him but he didn’t because it was always all about him.
As for Boris, he’s just another buffoon like Trump. I remember seeing a video where he acknowledged Biden’s win and one of the other representatives made a snarky remark about Boris being friends with Trump. He was in the parliament chambers and he looked like he had just rolled out the pub. Hair uncombed and rumpled. What bar stool did they find him under?
I read some remark somewhere that he made about his “rumpled” appearance, esp. his hair. He said that he will usually mess it up even more before he goes in public/on cam because then people are more focusing on how horrible he looks (even unconsciously), then on what he’s actually saying.
He obviously doesn’t think anyone can walk, talk, and chew gum at the same time. We SEE you’re an unkempt racist, misogynist, xenophobe, and we can HEAR you’re a racist, misogynist, xenophobe at the same time Boris!
Trump was always a sharply dressed racist, never a toupee hair out of place unless the wind was blowing. Nazis were also sharply dressed monsters.
Not sure how Boris came to that distraction reasoning. He supposed to be a Tory, UK equivalent of republicans, and they are usually put together better when trying to convince working class people that conservatives aren’t crooked. Lol.
God, I hope they send Kamala! Maybe some in the UK can clear this up for me: I have some in-laws that are pro-boris and brexit yet anti-trump and support Biden. I get Brexit and Boris aren’t as extreme but it’s all kinda the same ideas at the end of the day. I just don’t see how they don’t see it?
I had a friend who was like that – she loved Nigel Farage, voted Brexit cause immigrants and agreed with everything he said but hated Trump. I think the reality was that she agreed with what Trump stood for and what he was doing in the US but used the fact that she disliked him to make out she wasn’t a MAGAt when she clearly was.
A lot of Brexiters are MAGAts and many won’t admit to it, in fact they don’t realise its the same set of ideals.
“I get Brexit and Boris aren’t as extreme”
They’re far worse, IMHO.
We will not be rid of Brexit or Johnson in 4 years. The Tories have the highest rate of favour in all polls in the middle of a pandemic that has killed 100k people in UK, no chance of seeing a Labour PM in 2024 either.
that’s true 🙁
I don’t know the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family seemed to enjoy having Trump visit. Kindred souls and all. The Queen and her family, if they were allowed to vote would vote Tory and are very right wing. Plus Andrew is friends with Trump so the Queen would have been happy to meet him.
On another note, seriously, what would it take for Boris to comb his hair?
I wonder if the BRF and Bojo are wondering if Britain’s treatment of Meghan is going to be a problem diplomatically.
I would say not wondering about this at all. They are happy to dress up in plaid to try to keep Scotland happy and in the UK. But bully an American out of the country and keep bullying is juuuust fine.
But does UK Govt want US trade agreement enough to be nice to black people? That seem the be where they draw the line.
Boris is everyone’s b*tch shape-shifting-creep.
Employed by the ERG to deliver Brexit and the next vein re-branded as Mr Woke to be international friendly….
I agree with someone who stated that Boris must be keeping himself unkempt and his hair messy in a conscious way to appear harmless and eccentric. It’s a decisive ploy on his part. On Biden, he’s been in politics for over half of his life, and he knows exactly how the game is played. Before entering the White House as VP, he was known to be able to work with both sides of the aisle. I hope that the Republicans will be less stubborn and we can get things done in this country, besides arguing about everything under the sun. Also, I think that President Biden was mainly intent on getting Trump out of the White House, and felt that his centralist reputation would be a way to get the Independent voters, and some normal Republicans to vote for him. I don’t think that he really wanted the presidency; just wanted to get rid of the Trump cult. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to become a one term president and give his full support to VP Harris. Either way, I am just relieved to have the Trump grifters out of the White House and I hope that not one of them tries to return, in any form.
In USA we are angry that UK BUCKINGHAM PALACE 2x kissed trump’s ass on a visit, add that fascist Farage to the list and “FORGET ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE”
It seemed like BoJo was finally breaking with Trump in significant ways.
I will donate a minimum of $500 to the PAC of Joe Biden’s choosing if he or Dr. Biden publicly interact with Meghan and Harry while the Bidens are in the White House. Watching the BRF and the UK right-wing media explode would be worth every penny. I’d be able to see the glow of HRH Incandescence from here in Texas – hey, renewable energy! Give me the Earthshot Prize while we’re at it!!