Following on from a statement to a gathering of shocked MEPs in Brussels by a senior representative of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, where Irish fears of a return to a British militarised frontier in Ireland were dismissed as self-serving hyperbole, we now have a leading minister in the ruling Conservative Party telling outright lies about the national politics of the island. David Davis, the man tasked with negotiating the UK’s contentious withdrawal from the European Union, has claimed that the Fine Gael-led administration in Dublin is pursuing its diplomatic and socio-economic case against the imposition of a “hard border” around the Six Counties because of electoral rivalry with Sinn Féin. And the latter’s supposed “influence” on the government.
We had a change of government, south of the border, and with quite a strong influence from Sinn Féin, and that had an impact in terms of the approach.’
Yes, that’s right. Britain’s point-man on Europe believes that the conservative and right-wing Fine Gael party in Ireland is competing for the same core group of voters with the liberal and left-wing Sinn Féin party. And that SF already has some sort of grip on the FG administration of Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. Thus, he implies, all Irish concerns about Brexit can be ignored since they represent no more than domestic politics at play on the international stage.
How on earth can such moronic ignorance exist in the corridors of power in Downing Street and Whitehall? Or is it something far more sinister? The deliberate dissemination of falsehoods and misinformation designed to confuse and mislead British public opinion as the UK prepares to renege on all past agreements with its neighbour and former EU partners? This, it seems, is the calibre of politicians and officials representing London that negotiators from Dublin and Brussels must deal with as Brexit Britain passes from the rational to the inane. With this wayward, disruptive and ultimately hostile state in our midst the future of Europe looks very bleak indeed.
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
They’ve officially lost the plot. If they renege on their agreements meaning ending up in the company of Putin’s Russia which at the moment is so unappealing I’d rather take the sick bucket.
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Lost the plot is a great way of putting it. Couldn’t agree more. It’s that and grasping at straws as the catastrophe gathers speed. I’ve been convinced from the off that the absolute anathema on the part of the UK government to EFTA/EEA status which would both be consistent with the referendum vote but also ensure continuity in regard to the single market and customs union and consequently for this island tells us something very clear about the ideological approaches behind this. I’m reading a book by Cameron’s advisor where it is clear Michael Gove for years back was muttering about the UK becoming like Singapore in a Brexit context. How an island of many millions could emulate a city state escapes me. But what the attempt to do that would do to the UK (and this island too) is genuinely disturbing.
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David Davis: Thick as mince, lazy as a toad, vain as Narcissus. Says it all, really.
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I am afraid they simply do not give a shit. They took inventory of how much they are bound to lose, and being, quite literally, royal assholes isn’t going to cost them much more. They feel empowered to do as they please, and, at this stage, it looks like they will. Not a good sign for the immediate future.
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David Davis totally ignorant of EU law said:
“Post Brexit a UK-German deal would include free access for their cars and industrial goods, in exchange for a deal on everything else,” he said on 26 May this year. “Similar deals would be reached with other key EU nations. France would want to protect £3 billion of food and wine exports. Italy, its £1 billion fashion exports. Poland its £3 billion manufacturing exports.”
However one of the main basic features of the European Union is that EU countries cannot negotiate individual trade deals without side countries and instead do so as a bloc of 28.
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How on earth can such moronic ignorance exist in the corridors of power in Downing Street and Whitehall? Or is it something far more sinister?
I am afraid that the corridors of power in Downing Street and the Halls of Westminster are bursting at the seams with exactly this sort of moronic ignorance.
Those who know better in Whitehall have already left or are planning their exit.
The great British Public will remain in blissful ignorance because Broadcasting House and Fleet Street (or where hacks hang out these days) are in the same state as the politicians.
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Very true, Brenda.
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Is this them starting to “other” the Irish again? Blaming your Taoiseach and SF for not reaching a border deal is missing the obvious, a border deal was reached. The DUP withdrew support threatening PM May if she signed, hours before wet ink put names on dry paper, to seal the deal (An Sionnach Fionn covered this burrach/fiasco in an earlier blog). Things with brexit aren’t going well, scape goats need to be pointed out, readied, just in case.
The Westminster ministers are going back to Chequers this Friday. Davis stating, in the Times, that an all Ireland zone would be a way forward countering May’s non signing, leads me to sniff the the night air and I smell the sharpening of knives. Regicide by Monday?
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