Irish foreign minister says UK guilty of 'perverse nationalism' over U.S. trade

FILE PHOTO: Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney in Berlin, Germany, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/Pool/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Saturday that Britain was demonstrating "perverse nationalism" by seeking to reach a trade deal with the United States before the European Union and questioned whether it was a trustworthy partner.

"This idea that Britain can get there first is narrow minded thinking, frankly. It's a perverse nationalism when actually Britain and the EU should work together as partners," he said in an interview with The Times newspaper.