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LEO VARADKAR HAS said that relations have never been as bad with UK government ministers.
The Tánaiste said he believes the UK is “not being even handed” when it comes to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
UK MPs voted earlier this week to give the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill a second reading. The legislation is designed to override parts of the post-Brexit deal to allay concerns over its impact on the UK.
It comes after the DUP said it will not nominate ministers to allow a new Stormont Executive to be formed until the UK takes actions on its concerns around the protocol.
However the move by the UK has been branded as illegal and a clear breach of international law.
Varadkar said the UK’s bid to unilaterally change the protocol was a “strategic mistake”.
He told BBC Northern Ireland’s The View programme that the EU would “not be threatened” by the UK’s approach to the ongoing stand-off.
“The British government had given commitments in the past that it would be even handed in its approach to Northern Ireland,” he said.
“I don’t think that’s the case when it comes to this government, they’re siding with one of the three blocs of opinion that now exist in Northern Ireland.
“And I think that’s a strategic mistake for people who want to preserve the union – to continue to impose things that a clear majority of people don’t want means more people will turn away from the union.
It’s a peculiar policy coming from a government that purports to want to defend the union.
Varadkar also said that in his political lifetime, he had “never seen relations as bad” with UK ministers.
“We have a British government that doesn’t want to work hand in glove with the Irish government, it’s not even handed, it’s a government that wants to continue to have rows with the EU even though they’ve left,” he said.
“I think trust needs to be restored, the best way they can do that is by de-escalating this.
“Even if you have difficulties trusting someone, you still have to try to come to an agreement. If we can’t with this government, then a future government.”
Varadkar also said the people of Northern Ireland are not being listened to, referring to a letter against the bill signed by members of Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party.
“The thing that does bother me the most actually is that the people of Northern Ireland aren’t being listened to by their sovereign government in Westminster,” he said.
“A letter was written, 52 MLAs out of 90 signed it. It’s almost as if British ministers didn’t read it or didn’t care, and they set out very clearly that they did not want the protocol revoked and they did not accept this argument that the protocol undermined the Good Friday Agreement.
“Fifty-two out of 90s MLAs, and the British Government treats the views of majority of the elected representatives of Northern Ireland as irrelevant, and that’s a fundamental problem.”
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1921 wasn’t great.
@Great White Hope: wasn’t in his political life time though!
@Joe Kennedy: Or his actual lifetime
@D74Life: His political lifetime is relatively short in comparison to a seasoned politician in their late 60′s-70′s who would have more wisdom on Irish/UK relations. It was perhaps a naive addendum to his comment by saying, “….in my political lifetime”. Most people over 50 remember the 70′s/80′s when relations with the UK who were ruled by the “iron lady”, Maggie Thatcher were particularly sour.
@Great White Hope: he did say in his political lifetime, the early seventies & mid eighties weren’t great either
The ‘smart’ idea of some Brexiteers that Ireland should leave EU (or EU should kick Ireland out)so UK can get rid of the Irish Sea border they signed on, is one of the clear example of how much ‘respect’ they have for Ireland which is none it seems. We’re in the way of them and there’s nothing they an do.
@Ian O’Donovan: a much better idea would be to give the republic the same status as the north. Put the EU border in France. Both the Republic and NI would benefit of having access to both the UK and EU markets with no checks. Foreign companies would see Ireland as a great place to be with access to both markets.
@Michael Dowling: If the EU border is ín France then we wouldn’t have free access to the EU markets. For that to happen the border would have to be between Ireland and the UK.
@Michael Dowling: So effectively cutting ourselves off from the free market to appease the lunatics in Westminster?
Nor have relations with the voters.
Time for a rethink Leo.
@Dearbhla O Reilly: shinner bots just can’t help themselves
I think Leo is showing how young he is with these comments. Perhaps he should look up Anglo Irish relations on google or something.
@Brian Dunne: “in his political life time, he’d ‘never seen relations as bad’ ‘”, it says in the article.
@Joe Kennedy: wait what? We are expected to read the articles too??
@Joe Kennedy: eighties weren’t the best some sxite in the noughties as well
@Brian Dunne: haha…..I know yeah! Crazy stuff! Generally skim through them myself but just thought the headline didn’t really make any sense, so I went looking for an explanation!
It says in the article “never in his political lifetime” I know the shinner and PBP crowd don’t read the articles they sprint to the comment section.
@Martin O Connell:
@Martin O Connell: Who ye replying to Martin?And stop with yer cheap condescending comments on the fact people might not like the shams running the country at the moment.
@Martin O Connell:
I’m not a shinner nor a Leo lover like you, I came straight here, I’m not disappointed.
@Martin O Connell: thought he only did soundbites so didn’t read full article
Relations have never been so bad between the Irish government and the Irish people.
According to the GFA, The Northern Ireland Secretary of state should call a poll..
…”if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland”
That’s the Northern Ireland side of things. The Republic is separate.
Seems to me like that time has come. The DUP have absolutely no self awareness and they never will have. The idea that there can be compromise and good faith with them is absolute nonsense. Their union is lame duck and they need to be reminded.
@Vonvonic: NI Secretary rather.
@Vonvonic: Is it actually possible to call a poll with the executive not functioning?
@Vonvonic: Regardless of what the GFA says, who appoints the NI Secretary of State? Seeing as dear Mr. Lewis has been spouting the same nonsense around the Protocol Bill do you really think he’d come around to ditching the DUP?
Wonder how much Mr Europe is giving him to say that?
@Anne Marie Kearney: — He’s probably not getting as much as you for your asking that question.
Never….?? Really..
@Brendan Geoghegan: never in his political life time he said.
@Joe Kennedy:
Yep that’s Leo thinking of himself again. He should get history lessons.
@Liam Byrne: oh you know what he was thinking when he said it now as well?! Haha…..brilliant!
@Liam Byrne: That makes no sense, why do you think he needs history lessons? What gives you the impression that he doesn’t know about Irish and UK history?
We always made it easy for the brits squabbling about the messenger and missing the message. Some things will never change we don’t need any one else to divide and conquer us .
All persons sitting in parliaments just talking through their behinds are overpayed…
@Robert Lumezi: yes it would be far better to have no governments whatsoever. Everything would run far smoother then….
@James Kerins: It worked OK for Belgium for a while, not so much for Somalia.
@James Kerins: no it wouldn’t, thats silly thing to say. Mandates are to long, and most of the time promises are not made by the politicians elected. They’re overpayed. And irresponsible.
We always made it easy for the brits squabbling about the messenger and missing the message. No one could divide and conquer themselves better than the Irish.
When is he getting the bullet from that ag
Not surprising with a rogue government in power in the UK. It won’t change until there is a change of government. The Tory party have been taken over by crooks, right wing extremists , tax doggers and a cabinet and PM of low intellectual and non statesmanship abilities. Self serving and in power not for the benefit of their country. The British need to wake up before 1930’s are repeated.
@Niall O’Reilly: much like the Dail then………..
@Ian O Hara: I don’t think the Dail are planning to remove the separation of power between the legislature and the executive unlike BJ and his cronies in London?!
Duplicate comments giving me deja by
Not surprising considering the gob-shites in FF FG &G
You are not helping relations by making statements like that Mr. Varadkar. Who are you trying to impress?
@Pat Campbell: So what do you think he should do with the British? Go back to the old ways and start grovelling to them like his predecessor Gareth Fitzgerald in the 70′s-80′s, or like Haughey when he once presented Thatcher with a silver tea-pot?
have your say