As the SKWAWKBOX reported yesterday, the issue of the post-brexit ‘Irish Sea border’ insisted on by Irish Taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar could tear apart the Tory-DUP collaboration, as the DUP will not accept a sole, coast-based border that essentially merges Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic behind a single frontier.
Irish insiders insist that the Irish move is steered by chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in fulfilment of a 17yo promise to former SDLP leader and former Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume, with the likely additional aim of putting pressure on the Tory-DUP relationship.
The DUP’s approach to this thorny issue? So far, the main contributor appears to be DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr, the son of the late firebrand preacher-turned-peace-promoter Ian Paisley Sr.
Paisley’s first contribution was to suggest that the Republic of Ireland should leave the EU to avoid a ‘hard border’:
His second was even less sensitive and far – far – more offensive:
To understand how crass that tweet is, you only need to know that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is Ireland’s first openly gay politician:
‘That’ll tighten him’ has the obvious, ignorant and deeply homophobic connotations – hardly surprising from a politician in an anti-gay party, but still shockingly offensive and bigoted.
The significance of it wasn’t missed. Twitter account @namawinelake picked up on another Paisley comment and put two and two together:
But humour doesn’t detract from the hatefulness of the tweet or the attitude behind it.
If Theresa May wants to claim the slightest status as a defender of human rights against bigotry, she must denounce this hateful behaviour . But it’s far more likely she will simply turn a blind eye to it – which should raise a storm of protest and disapproval in Britain.
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The Conservative Party has entered into a coalition with the DUP, a sectarian, racist and homophobic organisation with close links to loyalist terrorist groups.
These are the facts of the matter.
This was all about Theresa May facing a loss of her ‘leadership’ (??), by her detractors in the Tory Party, following the results of the GE 2017, which left her without a clear mandate. She was about to lose her leadership and teamed up with the misogynistic, homophobic DUP, which gave her an overall majority of 10 in the HoC.
Disgraceful, probably illegal, gerrymandering.
Shame!, everybody knew, it was not easy deal for Northern Island and Inland of UK. How it would work out is mystery! If everybody is not treated equally and was not before that was the reason of the trouble, deep trouble, it would be very likely just more and more trouble would come.
The unionists have always been hardline in whatever they do. They always think they’re right and everyone else is wrong.Theresa May doesn’t give a fig about human rights she cares only for her own job. It’s in evidence every day of the week. The DUP WILL NOT GIVE WAY ON ANYTHING.
Squawkbox, why are you pushing this story when the Irish foreign minister clearly said (28 July) that there was no proposal to make the Irish Sea the new frontier with the UK after withdrawal from the EU? Continuing to push this erroneous story is inflammatory. I usually support Squawkbox but not if this is your way of pushing an agenda.
A politician rowing back on a statement is not unusual. The video shows what he said and the comments of the Irish PM are a matter of record. And pay attention to the language – ‘there is no proposal’ is similar to the Tories’ ‘there are no plans’ when they don’t want to admit they intend to do something.
If the DUP & Tories break down will we get our Bi££ion plus pounds back?
Like father, like son. The level of flatulent teenage humour would have been right at home in an episode of Beavis and Butthead.