EXCL DUP MPs: Republic of Ireland election would be good to distract Taoiseach from Brexit demands
2 min read
A general election in the Republic of Ireland would be good for the UK because it would distract the Taoiseach from his demands over Brexit, DUP MPs said today.
Party veterans Ian Paisley Jr and Jim Shannon argued Leo Varadkar would have to drop his focus on the Irish border issue and turn his attention to domestic issues.
Mr Paisley Jr added that Brexit was “literally none of his business”.
The Fein Gael leader is on the brink of a fresh vote in Dublin over an email scandal dating back to 2015.
The row is set to come to a head on Wednesday when the Dáil will vote on a confidence motion over deputy prime minister Frances Fitzgerald.
Mr Varakdar has vowed in recent days to stop the Brexit talks from moving onto the future trading relationship unless he has written guarantees from Theresa May that there will be no return to a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.
His comments have angered the DUP, who have demanded Mrs May walks away from the negotiating table if talks do not progress next month.
At their annual conference just outside Belfast today, DUP MPs argued a general election in the Republic could be the best next step for the Brexit negotiations.
“I think it’s fantastic if there’s an election in the south because it will take Leo Varadkar’s attention away from Brexit, which is literally none of his business,” Mr Paisley Jr told PoliticsHome.
“He’s completely mishandled the arrangements and discussions… He’s adopted a policy of just yelling at the border to make it an issue.”
Mr Paisley added: “Now that his mind might be focussed on the election in his country that’s a good thing.”
Mr Shannon meanwhile said: “I suppose it would distract from it in a way because all of a sudden he would be thinking about getting back in again.
“That might not be a bad thing from a point of view. I’m probably of the lobby who thinks an election would be good.”
Their comments echo those of pro-Brexit Tories who argue Mrs May should hold off making an offer on the so-called ‘divorce bill’ while German chancellor Angela Merkel is in political turmoil at home.
Elsewhere at the DUP conference, leader Arlene Foster revealed she had written to all 27 EU member states telling them she will block any proposal for a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK after Brexit.
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