Is the Special Relationship warming up again? Joe Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry jets into London for talks with Boris Johnson ahead of November climate change summit
- US climate envoy John Kerry was in London today for talks with Boris Johnson
- Meeting comes ahead of UK hosting the Cop26 summit in Glasgow in November
- Biden administration has taken a very different stance on issue to Donald Trump
US President Joe Biden’s climate envoy has visited London for talks with Boris Johnson in a sign that the Special Relationship could be warming up again.
Former secretary of state John Kerry met with Mr Johnson this morning ahead of the UK hosting the United Nations Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow in November this year.
Mr Kerry’s decision to fly to the UK for face-to-face talks highlights the extent to which the US approach on the issue has changed under the Biden administration.
Donald Trump pulled the US out of the landmark Paris climate change agreement when he was president.
Rejoining the accord was one of Mr Biden’s first acts when he moved into the White House.
John Kerry, Joe Biden’s climate envoy, held talks with Boris Johnson and Alok Sharma in London this morning. He is pictured leaving Downing Street
The visit of Mr Kelly is likely to boost optimism in Whitehall that Mr Johnson and Mr Biden will be able to strike a close relationship
The visit of Mr Kerry is likely to boost optimism in Whitehall that Mr Johnson and Mr Biden will be able to strike a close relationship after fears were raised they may not get along.
Mr Kerry is visiting European capitals to strengthen global ambition to tackle climate change.
He met with Cop26 President Alok Sharma and Mr Johnson dropped into the meeting which took place in the Locarno Room at the Foreign Office.
The former US presidential candidate who failed in his bid for the White House back in 2004 will also meet European Union leaders in Brussels and the French government in Paris during his visit.
On April 22, Mr Biden is due to host his own leaders’ summit on climate change.
Mr Kerry’s visit is likely to increase hopes of the Special Relationship between the US and the UK being strengthened.
Since Mr Biden’s election last November there have been concerns that he and Mr Johnson could clash.
The two leaders have never met before but Mr Biden has previously likened the Prime Minister to a ‘physical and emotional clone’ of Mr Trump.
Meanwhile, Democratic sources had questioned whether Mr Johnson was an ally of Mr Biden given his warm relationship with Mr Trump.
Mr Johnson faced fierce domestic criticism from his political opponents for his relationship with Mr Biden’s predecessor.
But the PM previously insisted the British premier should always have the ‘best possible’ ties with the sitting US president.
He told the Liaison Committee in January this year: ‘I am in favour of the Prime Minister of the UK having the best possible relationship with the President of the United States and I had an excellent conversation very recently with president-elect Joe Biden.’