Joe Biden visit: Top US Democrat says the DUP can expect to be 'prodded and nudged' towards going back into government - and indicates that Northern Ireland is the reason there is no post-Brexit US-UK trade deal

​Richard Neal, a friend of the US president and someone who has taken a close interest in Irish-American affairs for decades, also indicated that Northern Ireland is the reason that the USA and UK have not signed a post-Brexit trade agreement yet.

Joe Biden is due to arrive in Northern Ireland to celebrate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement on Tuesday, speak in Belfast on Wednesday, then travel south to the Irish republic for three days.

Mr Neal made his comments today on a no-punches-pulled BBC interview show called HARDTalk, which sees Stephen Sackur grill world figures on hot topics of the day.

Mr Neal had until recently chaired the US Congress’ powerful Ways and Means Committee, the house’s main body for overseeing taxation, and has been a congressman since 1989.

Hailing the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement, he told the BBC show: “Before the agreement there were 30,000 British soldiers in an area the size of our state of Connecticut. There were 106 military installations.

“There was a Royal Ulster Constabulary that one tradition of the communities decided they thought it was very unfair in their daily treatment.

"And today we have a prosperous island. [We have] still a ways to go. But the key here is to point out the following: all sides had to give up something in terms of aspiration to bring about this significant achievement.”

More from this reporter on this:

Good Friday Agreement at 25: How death toll from Troubles violence changed in Northern Ireland after 1998 deal

He was asked: “Do you believe Joe Biden will go to Belfast and try to convince the DUP that they must accept this deal?” – referring to the Windsor Framework, which the UK government claims will modify the Protocol in such a way that it minimises the existence of the de facto Irish Sea border.

The DUP however rejects this framework, saying it still leaves post-Brexit Northern Ireland under EU control, and distances the Province from the mainland UK.

Mr Neal replied: “The DUP, they were in Washington recently. I've had a long-standing relationship with them, and even where we might disagree, I think that part of what we want to accomplish here is prodding them to sit in government.”

Mr Sackur then asked: “Will America be using its leverage to do whatever it can to change that situation, to change DUP minds?”

“I've been in contact with the White House, I've had a long friendship with Joe Biden,” replied Mr Neal.

“I was with Bill Clinton in New York a couple of nights ago; we hosted a forum on the success of the agreement.

"And I think there can be some gentle nudging here, understanding that we all want to travel on the path that will bring about what I've often referred to as two traditions that live in one community.”

It was put to the congressman that “people like you and your fellow Democrat Joe Biden are not trusted by unionists in Northern Ireland”, and that whilst his talk of reconciliation “sounds really lovely… let me be blunt about it: you have an agenda, right? You want to see in your lifetime, as soon as possible, a united Ireland”.

For example, the DUP objected to the attitude of Mr Neal and other US representatives during their visit to Northern Ireland in 2022, describing their delegation as having been “most undiplomatic”.

Mr Neal said despite this public criticism from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, their exchanges had been “very different in private”.

As far as the idea of a US-UK post-Brexit trade agreement goes, Mr Sackur said this: “Rishi Sunak is desperately keen to get a US-UK trade deal negotiated as soon as possible.

"In the past you've sounded reluctant to see that trade deal done until NI has been sorted out to your satisfaction.”

Mr Neal replied: “I'm ready to say we're making progress, we're heading in the right direction."

Asked if it is the case that the US administration does “definitely tie progress on a trade deal to being satisfied with what the UK government is doing in Northern Ireland,” the reply came: “I think that's fair for me to say, and I think that'd be embraced by a wide swathe of members of congress and certainly the administration.”