Boris Johnson hails ‘refreshing’ chat with Joe Biden and refers to Donald Trump as ‘previous President’

Boris Johnson has welcomed a “refreshing” conversation with Joe Biden as the Prime Minister labelled Donald Trump the “previous president” despite the Republican continuing to contest the election.

President-elect Mr Biden issued Mr Johnson with a warning that Brexit must not jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process during their first call since the November 3 vote.

But the Prime Minister focused on their shared values of standing up for Nato and tackling the climate crisis, two areas Mr Trump rode roughshod over.

Mr Johnson told PMQs: “I had an excellent conversation with president-elect Joe Biden, we were strongly agreed on the need for once again the United Kingdom and the United States to stand together. 

"To stick up for our values around the world, to stick up for human rights and free trade to stick up for Nato and to work together in the fight against climate change. 

"It was refreshing to have that conversation and look forward to having many more.”

He continues to have a strong relationship with Mr Trump, who has refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power while making baseless allegations of voter fraud.

Labour’s Angela Eagle pressed for his advice to his “erstwhile best friend” Mr Trump as he continues to refuse to accept the result of the election, which she said is “both embarrassing for him and dangerous for American democracy”.

Mr Johnson replied: “I had and have a good relationship with the previous president, I do not resile from that – it is in the duty of all British prime ministers to have a good relationship with the White House.”

The Prime Minister was among the first world leaders to secure a call with Mr Biden since his victory over Mr Trump.

Mr Biden’s transition team said he expressed his desire to “strengthen the special relationship” and “reaffirmed his support for the Good Friday Agreement”, in a warning over Brexit.

He has in the past warned that a trade deal with the US is “contingent” on there being no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland amid unease over the Prime Minister’s Brexit legislation.

The Democrat also said that the peace process must not “become a casualty of Brexit” in a warning over the controversial UK Internal Market Bill.

Downing Street’s official summary of the phone call, which was understood to have lasted for about 25 minutes, did not make a specific mention of Brexit.

But a No 10 source said: “They talked about the importance of implementing Brexit in such a way that upholds the Good Friday Agreement, and the PM assured the president-elect that would be the case.”

A swift call with the incoming president is highly coveted but it will be particularly welcomed by Mr Johnson amid concerns the pair could face diplomatic difficulties.

They have never met before and Mr Biden has likened the Prime Minister to a “physical and emotional clone” of Mr Trump.

In other controversies, allies of Mr Biden, who was Barack Obama’s vice-president, have not forgiven Mr Johnson for highlighting the first African American president’s “part-Kenyan” heritage, claiming it had given him an “ancestral dislike of the British empire”.

Asked if Sir Keir Starmer would condemn Mr Trump’s actions since the election, a spokesman for the Labour leader said: “Donald Trump’s actions are wrong – and the British Government should say so.

“Any attempts to undermine democratic process should not be left unchallenged.

“We call out that in other countries across the world, and we should be able to do so with our friends and allies in America.

“His actions are wrong and the British Government shouldn’t be afraid to say so.

“I think the actions are deeply concerning and they undermine, not only the democratic process in America, but the democratic process across the world.

“They should not be left unchallenged, and the British Government should call them out.”

Additional reporting from PA