Tag Archives: Brexit

From top: Yesterday’s London Evening Standard; tweet from spoof Daily Mail account

These attitude mirrors the conveyor belt of myths perpetuated against Scottish independence; subsidy junkies, Arc of Insolvency, Skintland etc etc, and it’s no surprise to see them wheeled out again against Ireland’s entirely legitimate issues about a hard border.

All of this is entirely consistent with the politics of Leave: blame foreigners, blame immigrants, blame Bureaucrats, blame anyone but take responsibility. The political narrative of false-grievance, exceptionalism and stoking resentment will however soon run its course.

The problem for Brexiteers and English xenophobes is that the Irish have been deeply embedded in European politics for a very long time, and whilst goodwill for the British is spent, Ireland has considerable allies who will support her.

Cogadh!

The Subsidy Junkies (Bella Caledonian, Don’t Read Everything You Believe)

DUP leader Arlene Foster on BBC

BBC reports:

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar “should know better” than to “play around” with Northern Ireland over Brexit, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party says.

Arlene Foster accused Mr Varadkar of being “reckless” as Brexit talks enter a “critical phase”.

She was speaking after meeting Theresa May at Downing Street.

The Irish government says any hard border with Northern Ireland should be off the table.

…Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mrs Foster said: “Some people are taking their moment in the sun, to try and get the maximum in relation to the negotiations – and I understand that but you shouldn’t play about with Northern Ireland particularly at a time when we’re trying to bring about devolved government again.”

WATCH INTERVIEW: Irish PM should know better over Brexit, says Arlene Foster (BBC)

Yesterday: Leo’s Day In The Sun

BBC

On Saturday, The Sun in Britain carried the editorial above.

It was not published in The Irish Sun.

Further to this…

Breaking News reports:

Responding to the paper’s article, Varadkar said he had read the editorial in question.

He explained: “I think it’s the second or third time that the Tory press have had a go at me – which is interesting because, here in Ireland, the left and others accuse me of being a Tory.

“I guess I treat all that commentary with the respect it deserves – which isn’t very much.”

THE SUN SAYS Ireland’s naive young prime minister should shut his gob on Brexit and grow up (The Sun)

Taoiseach hits back at ‘Brexit Buffoon’ commentary from ‘Tory press’ (Breaking News)

This morning.

Government Buildings, Dublin 2

European Parliament Brexit Co-ordinator, Guy Verhofstadt meets Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister of State for Mental Health European Affairs, Helen McEntee…

Ahead of a joint sitting of the Oireachtas Committees on European Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, where  Mr Verhofstadt said he wanted to deliver a “message of solidarity” with the Irish people.

“What we will never allow is that Ireland will suffer from the British decision to leave the EU,” he said.

“That is a commitment that has been made by the European parliament and by the EU as a whole.”

He also said the EU must also ensure that there is no return to the past, and to hard borders on our continent “and certainly not to a hard  border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic,” he added.

Verhofstadt tells Dáil EU will not allow Ireland suffer due to Brexit (RTÉ)

Leah Farrell/Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Government Buildings, Dublin 2

UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond MP in Dublin for a Meeting with the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD to discuss brexit this afternoon.

Toner’s so.

We are determined To Avoid A Physical Border In ireland (Philip Hammond, Irish Times)


Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and UK Prime Minister Theresa May at Number 10, Downing Street, London last month

The Irish Times reports:

Free movement from the European Union into Britain will end in March 2019, Downing Street has said.

… international trade secretary and vocal Brexiteer Liam Fox said unregulated free movement of labour after Brexit would “not keep faith” with the EU referendum result and that the cabinet had not agreed a stance on immigration.

…“The prime minister’s position on an implementation period is very clear and well-known,” he said.

“Free movement will end in March 2019. We have published proposals on citizens’ rights. Last week, the Home Secretary said there will be a registration system for migrants arriving post-March 2019.

“Other elements of the post-Brexit immigration system will be brought forward in due course. It would be wrong to speculate on what these might look like or to suggest that free movement will continue as it is now.”

Free movement between EU and Britain ‘to end’ in March 2019 (The Irish Times)

Nat writes:

Tory Brexit troll Daniel J Hannan (top) farts another one out….And it isn’t long before his Irish equivalent McGuirk (above) gets the whiff in his nostrils…