First Minister leads tributes to first female US Vice President

Nicola Sturgeon congratulated America’s new president yesterday – before paying tribute to new vice president Kamala Harris.

The first minister sent her good wishes within minutes of the Joe Biden victory being announced.

She wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations from Scotland to President-Elect Joe Biden and to history-making Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. The first woman in the White House – and the first woman of colour too. This is a big and special moment.”

The first woman in the White House – and the first woman of colour too. This is a big and special moment. https://t.co/TcMwoVBDAL

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) November 7, 2020

Boris Johnson’s congratulations followed soon after, when he tweeted: “Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States and to Kamala Harris on her historic achievement.

“The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted: “Looking forward to working with the new administration – the UK-US friendship has always been a force for good in the world.”

The US-UK relationship has been turbulent under Donald Trump, although he has repeatedly praised Boris Johnson and backed Brexit.

A Biden administration would be expected to put a much greater focus on international diplomacy – including with the UK – than the Trump White House’s “America first” agenda.

While Mr Johnson has enjoyed a largely friendly relationship with Mr Trump he has not met former vice-president Mr Biden.

UK efforts to get close to Mr Biden were rebuffed as his campaign team adopted a policy that it would not hold meetings with foreign dignitaries in the run-up to the polling day.

One possible area of friction will be Northern Ireland.

Mr Biden has warned the Good Friday Agreement cannot become a “casualty of Brexit”.

But former ambassadors to the US Sir Nigel Sheinwald and Sir Christopher Meyer, along with former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, believe Downing Street will welcome a Biden administration.

Mr Rifkind said: “I suspect 10 Downing Street, although it will never say this, will actually also be slightly relieved that they will be dealing with an American president who’ll be predictable, who will not tweet policy when he wakes up and who will therefore be able to be part of a coherent approach to the issues that we’ll face in government.”