Sir, – In the short time that Boris Johnson has been British prime minister, he has achieved a feat which I would not have believed possible: he has managed to make Theresa May look good. – Yours, etc,
MYLES KELLEHER,
Swords,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – One of your letter writers, N Pritchard (September 6th), recommended that the EU and Ireland should not remain mute if there is a general election in the UK.
This was on the basis of supposedly counteracting errors in how the EU is perceived and that a general election is a proxy referendum.
He also recommends that Ireland should approach nationals living here in the UK to educate them to do the right thing.
May I remind the writer that the EU and Ireland have no right to interfere in the operation of a individual state’s election process.It would be seen as again the EU being the interfering bully and anything said would be seen as misinformation and could have the opposite effect to that intended.
The inference that the Irish who voted leave need to do the right thing is arrogance in the extreme, and any Irish government that is a party to such an action is leaving itself open to a reaction, and maybe the removal of our right to vote in the UK in the future.
Indeed Charlie Flanagan did appear at the UK Irish centres when the referendum campaign took place and did not change opinions.
It will also prove to the UK people that their sovereignty and parliament are open to attack and may harden their resolve further.
Be careful when you ask to interfere in another country’s operation as you may be the recipient of such actions yourselves in the future. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BERGIN,
Oxton,
United Kingdom.
Sir, – In his article covering the recent visit of Mike Pence to Ireland, Newton Emerson (Opinion & Analysis, September 5th) claims to have detected a whiff of bad faith on the part of the Taoiseach. He claims Leo Varadkar's goal, to achieve "no physical infrastructure, no checks, no controls, no tariffs" and maintain that situation going forward, is to force the UK "to remain permanently in the backstop".
This is a very narrow and disingenuous interpretation. First, the Taoiseach’s statement is, by its very nature, a summary of the EU position to the press. Mr Varadkar does not negotiate for the EU.
Second, the above position was ostensibly the shared goal of both sides at the start of negotiations – the backstop being a bridge between the UK leaving and closing a long-term trade agreement.
Some on the Brexit side seem to have recently changed that goal.
Is it not very telling that your columnist has to sift so diligently for this suggestion of bad faith while we in the EU sift so diligently for its opposite? – Yours, etc,
DANNY RAFFERTY,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
Sir, – United Kingdom: isolation. Rest of the world: globalisation. It’s like trying to opt out of the weather. – Yours, etc,
PETER SHAUGHNESSY,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – I was under the impression that Boris Johnson models his rhetoric on that of his idol, Sir Winston Churchill. Alas, he does so without much success.
Somehow, “We shall fight those big girls’ blouses on the beaches” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. – Yours, etc,
EMER HUGHES,
Moate,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – With his classical education, one would imagine that Boris Johnson might have been familiar with the tale of Icarus. Obviously he was too caught up in his plastic Churchill impersonation to heed the dangers of flying too near the sun. He is certainly feeling the heat! – Yours, etc,
A JONES,
Mullagh,
Co Cavan.