Johnson says he is ‘not going to disagree’ with Biden at their first meeting

Boris Johnson has insisted he does not disagree with Joe Biden on anything as the pair began a potentially tricky meeting in Cornwall.

The US President will use the meeting to warn the Prime Minister not to let the row over Northern Ireland’s Brexit arrangements put the Good Friday Agreement at risk.

The issue threatened to overshadow the Prime Minister’s first meeting with the President and his hosting of the G7 summit, which begins on Friday in Carbis Bay.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Biden said he was looking forward to “affirming the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom” – despite Mr Johnson’s dislike of the term to describe the transatlantic partnership because he believes it makes Britain look needy.

The two leaders and their wives – Carrie Johnson and Jill Biden – admired the view over Carbis Bay before their meeting.

Mr Biden said: “I told the Prime Minister we have something in common. We both married way above our stations.”

Mr Johnson responded: “I’m not going to dissent on that one. I’m not going to disagree with you there or indeed on anything else, I think highly likely.”

Aside from Brexit, Mr Johnson and Mr Biden will work on efforts to resume transatlantic travel and agree a new Atlantic Charter paving the way for co-operation on challenges including climate change and security.

But Mr Biden, who takes pride in his Irish roots, will also raise the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol which will feature heavily in discussions with the UK and European Union over the coming days of intense diplomatic activity in Cornwall.