Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has welcomed the ongoing public support from leading figures in the US Congress on the need to protect the Good Friday Agreement from Brexit.

The Sinn Féin President was speaking after a bi-partisan group of members of Congress published a letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ruling out a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain if the Good Friday Agreement is undermined.

She said:

“I welcome the latest public intervention from key political figures in the US Congress restating to Boris Johnson that Congress will not approve a post-Brexit trade deal with the British government if the Good Friday Agreement is undermined.

“This is a bi-partisan issue that unites Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Earlier this year, the Congress unanimously agreed a resolution to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and to avoid a hard border arising from Brexit. That remains the position of the US Congress.

“I value the ongoing support for our peace process from political figures in the United States and the wider international community. At the beginning of the summer, I briefed the Congressional Friends of Ireland on the challenges facing our Agreements due to the actions of the British government and we remain in contact with political and civic leaders in the US.

“It has become increasingly clear that political figures in the US have a better understanding and appreciation of the Good Friday Agreement than the British government and won’t be swayed by rhetoric from Dominic Raab in Washington today

“The Withdrawal Agreement is an international agreement; it must be maintained and protected in order to prevent the imposition of a hard border, to protect our economy – north and south – and our peace agreements.”