Boris Johnson calls Trump the 'previous president' after an 'extremely exciting' conversation with Joe Biden

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday referred to Donald Trump as the "previous president" as he lavished praise on Joe Biden following an "extremely exciting" phone call with the president-elect.
• The UK prime minister said it was "refreshing" to hear Biden defend global institutions.
• Johnson's tweet congratulating Biden on winning the election was found to contain elements of a previously drafted message congratulating Trump instead.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday referred to Donald Trump as the "previous president" as he lavished praise on Joe Biden after their first call since the president-elect's victory.

Johnson, who had been an ally of Trump, told members of Parliament about an "excellent conversation" he had with Biden on Tuesday.

Johnson said it was "refreshing" to hear Biden defend international institutions, in an apparent swipe at Trump's aversion to international organizations such as NATO and the World Health Organization.

"One of the many merits of the excellent conversation I had yesterday with President-elect Joe Biden was that we both strongly agreed on the need, once again, for the United Kingdom and the United States to stand together, to stick up for our values around the world, to stick up for human rights, to stick up for global free trade, to stick up for NATO, Mr. Speaker, and to work together in the fight against climate change," Johnson said.

"It was refreshing, I may say, to have that conversation, and I look forward to many more," he added.

Labour MP Angela Eagle asked Johnson whether he had "any advice for his erstwhile best friend, President Trump, whose continuing refusal to accept the result is both embarrassing for him and dangerous for American democracy."

The UK prime minister smiled and said: "I had and have a good relationship with the previous president, and I do not resile from that. It's the duty of all British prime ministers to have a good relationship with the White House.

"But I'm delighted to find the many areas in which the incoming Biden-Harris administration is able to make common cause with us. In particular, it was extremely exciting to talk to President-elect Biden about what he wants to do with the COP26 summit next year."

Johnson was among several world leaders who spoke to Biden on Tuesday as he prepares to move into the White House in January.

A Downing Street representative said the UK prime minister "warmly congratulated Joe Biden on his election" and "conveyed his congratulations to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on her historic achievement."

The pair discussed fighting the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, with Johnson inviting Biden to the COP26 climate-change summit in Glasgow, Scotland, next year, the representative said.

Reports had questioned whether the president-elect and his team would take issue with the UK prime minister over Brexit and his controversial remarks, like in 2016 when he said President Barack Obama's "part-Kenyan" ancestry meant he disliked Britain.

Johnson's tweet congratulating Biden on winning the election was found on Tuesday to contain elements of a previously drafted message congratulating Trump instead.