Cabinet minister says Joe Biden does not understand NI Protocol

Boris Johnson today insisted Joe Biden does understand the Northern Ireland Protocol as he delivered a slap down to a Cabinet minister who said the US President was 'wrong' to have concerns about the peace process.     

Environment Secretary George Eustice this morning questioned Mr Biden's grasp of the 'very complicated' post-Brexit trading arrangements that apply to goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

Mr Eustice said he was 'not sure' that Mr Biden 'fully appreciates' the UK's position as it seeks to renegotiate the rules with the EU. 

He said Mr Biden is probably 'just reading the headlines, reading what the EU are saying'. 

But he was swiftly rebuked by Mr Johnson who said he did not agree with Mr Eustice's assessment. 

Speaking in Washington DC, the Prime Minister said: 'No. The President actually in our meeting yesterday, I don't think it came up at all.

'We had a meeting of over 90 minutes and it wasn't raised. So there is a great deal of understanding on the part of all our friends around the world that the Belfast Good Friday Agreement is crucial to us and to the world and we need to maintain the balance and symmetry of that agreement and that is what we are going to do.'  

Mr Eustice's comments had risked igniting a furious diplomatic row with the US after Mr Biden yesterday reiterated his concerns about the implementation of the protocol as he welcomed Mr Johnson to the White House. 

Mr Biden, who has Irish ancestry, yesterday issued a fresh warning for the UK not to damage the peace process in Northern Ireland as it tries to resolve border issues with the EU. 

Sitting next to Mr Johnson in the Oval Office, Mr Biden said at the start of the meeting that he felt 'very strongly' about issues surrounding the peace process.