The UK should not impose its will illegally on Ireland

I’ve heard people describing Johnson’s role in Northern Ireland today as being an “honest broker” between the parties.

I’ve carried my Tricolour with me since the first time I went to SODEM, and since October 2016 at demonstrations in Newcastle, Edinburgh, Balmoral, Liverpool, Manchester, Brussels and many places in between. I have done so to explain to people that Ireland is the biggest victim of Brexit. The people of Northern Ireland voted against Brexit. They voted for parties supporting the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Belfast Agreement sets out ways for the communities in the North to work together to provide a devolved government and remove the excuses for violence. It is far from perfect, but was a massive achievement and has helped create and protect the peace for nearly twenty five years. The Agreement contains provisions for the holding of a border poll to consider whether NI should remain part of the UK. These have not been triggered and the prospects for reunification of Ireland in the near future are fairly remote.

In the meantime, the economic strength of NI is essential to the wellbeing of all people living there. The protocol was an attempt to limit the damage caused to the whole of Ireland, including NI, by Brexit and to stop Brexit destroying the delicate peace. It is Brexit which is the cause of the current difficulties, not the protocol.

The implementation of the protocol can of course be improved and the EU has put forward its proposals for this. In its arrogance the UK is putting forward legislation allowing it to unilaterally impose changes in the arrangements agreed by Boris Johnson and his government.

The DUP and unionism lost the recent election in the North. Sinn Féin and the non sectarian Alliance Party were the beneficiaries. The people voted for parties in favour of the Protocol.

Boris Johnson is not an honest broker, but a cheating, lying, divisive, arrogant, self-serving breaker.

If the UK seeks illegally to again impose its will on Ireland it will not end well.

James Sheerin