​​​​​​​No chance of US-UK trade deal, if Brexit undermines the Northern Ireland peace accord: US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives has warned that Congress will not approve a US-UK trade deal, if Brexit undermines the Northern Ireland peace accord.

Nancy Pelosi said the UK’s exit from the EU could not be allowed to risk the Good Friday agreement between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  She called it “the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland” and “a beacon of hope for the entire world.”

“After centuries of conflict and bloodshed, the world has witnessed a miracle of reconciliation and progress made possible because of this transformative accord,” she said in a press release.

The Good Friday Agreement was approved in 1998, ending decades of bloodshed between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

She highlighted the importance of maintained peace in the region in her statement.

“If Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be no chance of a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement passing the Congress. The peace of the Good Friday Agreement is treasured by the American people and will be fiercely defended on a bicameral and bipartisan basis in the United States Congress.”

Pelosi’s comments came after the US national security adviser said Britain would be at the front of the trade queue with Washington after Brexit.

John Bolton made the remark after meeting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London.

Bolton also said Washington supported a no-deal Brexit. Britain is due to leave the EU on October 31.
Bolton said if the new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were to opt for a no-deal Brexit, the US would "enthusiastically" support the move.

“If that’s the decision of the British government, we will support it enthusiastically, and that’s what I’m trying to convey," Bolton told reporters on his first day during his visit to the British capital, according to Politico.