Michelle O'Neill: Joe Biden 'will be a good friend to us'

The new American president "will be a good friend to us", Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill has said.

Speaking to Nick Robinson's Political Thinking, she said Joe Biden often emphasised his links to Ireland and shared Sinn Féin's view of Brexit.

She described Brexit as "dire" and restated her ambition for a poll on Irish unity within the decade.

In recent weeks, food supplies to Northern Ireland have been disrupted.

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said this was a result of new Brexit rules, but UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss argued that the coronavirus was also responsible for some of the shortages.

Talking to Nick Robinson for Radio 4's Political Thinking, Ms O'Neill said the election of Mr Biden marked the beginning of "a new kind of relationship with the United States".

She said Mr Biden had described himself as Irish, adding "you can see all of his public contributions involve some element of presenting his Irishness and I think he'll be a good friend to us in the time ahead".

Mr Biden's great, great, great grandfather - Edward Blewitt - left Ballina for America during the Irish famine 170 years ago.

Ms O'Neill said that in the context of the pandemic and Brexit "we very much look to the United States and our friends and allies there".

She added that she hoped to meet the new US president if he stops in Ireland en route to the G7 summit in Cornwall in June.

The Sinn Féin vice president also suggested the new American administration would have an impact on the British government's approach to the Good Friday Agreement.

"They [the British government] have demonstrated disregard and disrespect to [it] in recent years, particularly in the case of Brexit, so I think they'll be sitting with their ears pricked up and listening very carefully to what's being said in the United States," she said.

"We always said that Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement weren't compatible and there was nothing good to come from Brexit... all we can see now is chaos and the implications of Brexit, which are dire."

Last year, Mr Biden was critical of the UK government's Brexit-related legislation and warned that the peace deal "cannot become a casualty of Brexit".

Ms O'Neill also confirmed her hope to hold a border poll on Irish unity within the next 10 years.

"We set out our stall for a decade of opportunity and so this is a time to plan.

"There is a constitutional imperative for the Irish government to plan for unity and to encourage as many people to come into the conversation."

Under UK law, a border poll - or referendum on Northern Ireland leaving the UK - should be held if "it appears likely" a majority would support uniting with Ireland.