- James Landal
- Diplomatic Affairs Correspondent
US President Joe Biden has described British Prime Minister Liz Truss’s economic policies as “wrong”.
Biden said in comments considered out of the ordinary that the economic confusion that followed the announcement of the mini-budget was expected.
Biden, speaking in Oregon, was asked about Truss’ attempt to spur the economy forward and stimulate growth by giving tax breaks without funding for them.
“I think the idea of tax cuts for the very wealthy at this time is something I disagree with, but this is something for Britain, not for me,” he added.
Biden has always been among the opponents of the policy of cutting taxes for the very wealthy, and this policy is at the heart of the prime minister’s economic plan, which believes that cutting taxes for companies and the wealthy will drive growth, allowing wealth to flow towards all segments of society.
But it is not unusual for the president of the United States to criticize the leader of a very close country.
IMF concerns
Biden has been criticized in the past for not doing enough to bolster US-UK relations, preferring to focus his transatlantic policy on Dublin, Paris and Berlin, but he is not the only one on the international political scene baffled by the way things are done in Britain and the decisions made by its politicians.
British foreign ministers and diplomats believe that the boiling in Britain will have a diplomatic and economic cost.
Some leaders go so far as to laugh about the British experience in public. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke to the Sunday Times about the IMF’s concerns over the state of the British economy.
“If you need experience in dealing with the IMF, we are here, we can help,” he joked, referring to Greece’s economic instability and its need for help from international institutions.
photo released, Getty Images
Prime Minister Liz Truss insists she knows the way to growth
Diplomats from countries with economic problems tell jokes that their countries’ currency is stronger than the pound, and some are not shy about breaking the rules of diplomacy and criticizing the internal affairs of the host country, including the German ambassador in London Miguel Berger, who expressed concern about the British government’s economic plans.
One British diplomat told me, “We have become a laughing stock. People come to me and ask ‘What is going on in your country?'”.
Diplomats and foreign ministers say they miss Britain’s role on the international stage and yearn to see “Britain of the Past”, which had a quiet presence on the international stage.
In the past, diplomats viewed Britain as a country that followed the right steps, the rule of law, and made rational decisions.
“Wake up, Britain,” a European foreign minister told me over the weekend, the world is on fire, and we need you.
The international confusion has been noted by Britain’s main opposition parties, and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “President Biden knows the dangers of buoyancy because the rich get rich. His comments confirm what our reputation has come from the Conservatives.”
The BBC approached the State Department for comment, but did not receive it.