Michael Auslin

How Biden can help save Sunak

Should he want to, Biden could support the PM on the world stage

Joe Biden (Credit: Getty images)

Spare a thought for Rishi Sunak. The Prime Minister must restore the UK’s fiscal stability, calm markets, and support the pound. He needs to unite a country facing increasing American-style social and political polarisation. He must also assure Britain’s allies and partners that it will remain a global actor, opposing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Beijing’s belligerence. It is a tall order for any leader. But Sunak could be helped significantly by US President Joe Biden in a few key areas – the question is whether Biden wants to do so.

The economic, political, and security health of Britain is no minor matter for the United States. As global norms further deteriorate, the UK remains one of the handful of vitally important democracies. It has been America’s most important ally for decades. Despite their differences, Washington and London are aligned on the critical issues facing their countries. They continue to share a commitment to liberal values including individual rights and economic opportunity. Indeed, Sunak’s background as the child of South Asian immigrants who grew up to be a wealthy investor, with part of his career spent in the States, is proof of the openness that both America and Britain celebrate.

Now it is Biden’s moment to support his counterpart. He should begin by directing US trade representative Katherine Tai to reopen negotiations with the UK’s Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch for a fast-track free trade agreement. America and Britain are among each other’s largest trading partners, accounting for over £879 billion in two-way investment in 2020 and taking nearly a quarter of each other’s exports. Two-way trade in goods and services totalled £243 billion in 2019. As pillars of the modern free trade movement, the two should stand at its global centre.

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