Boris bombs in Northern Ireland talks – he has managed to upset everyone
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald meets Boris Johnson: she said she received no straight answers from him. Great result! The rest of us have to put up with outright lies.
Boris Johnson has managed a rare achievement in modern politics: having travelled to Northern Ireland for talks on how to restore the devolved government there, he managed to upset everybody he met.
The prime minister’s visit comes after the Democratic Unionist Party blocked the election of a Speaker to a new assembly at Stormont last Friday, meaning it cannot function.
The DUP – and other unionist parties – want changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol of the UK’s agreement to leave the European Union, which they say creates a hard trade border between the Province and Britain.
Johnson claimed to be there to build a consensus with political parties in Northern Ireland – but faced considerable distrust because they all know his foreign secretary, Liz Truss, is expected to make a statement on the government’s plans to act on the protocol on Tuesday – possibly overriding parts of the Brexit deal.
So, while they disagree on the issue that divides them, the Northern Irish parties seem to be united in their distrust of the man with ultimate power to act on it.
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald accused Mr Johnson of unacceptable and obstructionist tactics, placating the DUP and giving “no straight answers”: “The British government is in a game of brinkmanship with the European institutions, indulging a section of political unionism which believes it can frustrate and hold society to ransom.”
The DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson said he would judge Johnson on his actions, not words: “We cannot have power-sharing unless there is a consensus. That consensus doesn’t exist.”
Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry was no more positive: “We’ve seen a lot of soft words from the prime minister, an attempt at some sort of consensual way forward, but those words belie the fact that tomorrow Liz Truss is set to make a statement to parliament setting out the basis of the UK taking unilateral action on the protocol.”
And Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood said: “If the British government tomorrow signal their intent to break international law by legislating to rip up the protocol at Westminster he will not have the support of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.”
Johnson was jeered by about 200 people as his cavalcade arrived at Hillsborough, including campaigners for Irish language legislation, anti-Brexit activists and victims’ campaigners objecting to the government’s proposed legislation for dealing with legacy cases from the Troubles.
So in fact, Johnson has achieved a positive result.
He has united the people of Northern Ireland. None of them would trust him further than they could spit a rat.
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Johnson is an international disgrace…He and his criminal Cartel posing as the British government has turned Britain into a laughingstock on the world stage….Why is this government(and I use the term loosely) allowed to remind in office, and not thrown out!
The man without a plan is still hoping the EU will come up with something for him. His incompetence knows no bounds. I can honestly say that I could do better – and I have no illusions about my own abilities in political leadership, but Johnson does.
Like many I am unsurprised at this and could see it coming. But what DOES surprise me is the willingness of the Boris Fanboys to always defend the indefensible no matter what it is. Whilst Labour got a few more councillors last week they still haven’t increased their vote share from how Corbyn performed at the last GE which should be ringing alarm bells as with Johnson being incompetent at everything and partygate STILL rumbling on Labour should have VASTLY increased vote share. I don’t foresee a Labour victory under Starmer, and to be fair, he doesn’t deserve it..