REFLECTING ON NORTHERN IRELAND - WHAT PRICE PROTOCOL?

The duplicity of Boris Johnson seemingly has no end. The United Kingdom voted to leave the EU by 51.9%, a majority of 1,269,501 in a referendum where only 72% bothered to vote. In Northern Ireland, the electorate voted by 55.8% to remain in the European Union. In Scotland 62% voted to remain.

 

The Conservative party have wooed the DUP since it came into power and promised all sorts of things that would benefit them in Northern Ireland, with a view to keeping them on side. The DUP have gone along with the Conservative Party until, finally, the promises were exposed as a lie. Boris Johnson is the chief architect of the deception.

 

The Irish, having come to some form of agreement, to finally live together, dispensing with a border in order to, at least, do business with one another in peace under the security of the European Union, were now to separate themselves from that security blanket through the implementation of a new protocol that would allow them to continue to benefit from its previous free association between the North and South. It was meant to be a seamless transition from one state of affairs to another, whilst allowing the United Kingdom to go its own way.

 

Sadly for the Northern Irish citizens, who, for some obscure reason, feel devoted and tied to the United Kingdom, it hasn’t quite worked out as they had hoped. They were led to believe Boris Johnson’s lies about the prospective new system of trading with the EU.  Having chosen to separate from the EU, it was inevitable that borders would be introduced. What existed before the EU, would of necessity be reintroduced on exiting the EU. As the Channel had always been a border line between the United Kingdom and the Continent, there was very little to do except to bring back the paper work and open the duty free shops again.

 

This was clearly not the case for the Irish Border. It would have to be reconstructed and the border posts, fences and gates be brought back to life, as well as the paperwork and duty free shops. Boris thought nothing of this and blithely said, no problem, no need to put back the border, not necessary, we’ll sort it all out at the ports along the Irish Sea, Belfast and Derry, and he was believed when he said that there would be no border at all, let alone on the Sea between the Islands. He had a magic wand that would make it all happened as if actual facts and realities did not matter. It would be as seamless as Dover and Calais. Hah!

 

Boris now claims he did not know what he was doing, or at least what has happened was not what he intended. He inadvertently signed an agreement and forgot to read the terms and conditions that he made. He is very good at claiming that he did not understand the terms and conditions that he makes at the start of implementing agreements. His duplicity takes the form of innocent stupidity. Now, of course, it is not so easy to back track.

 

He has committed the United Kingdom to certain obligations. He created the necessity for implementing new treaties for co-existence with the rest of the world, and in particular with the UK’s nearest neighbours. These treaties are legally binding. They are international agreements.  Once entered into, they have the force of law. Unilaterally breaking those international agreements will have consequences and no doubt penalties. One does not need to be a lawyer to understand that.

 

The United Kingdom cannot claim it’s all the other party’s fault for being intransigent. The United Kingdom created the necessity for the new agreement and after several years of blathering, signed up to a deal it had freely, of its own volition, agreed to. It had instigated the difficulties through a referendum and resolved them under the auspices of Boris Johnson who got Brexit done.

 

To get it done, he lied. He now lies about his lying. He continues to do so. He cannot help himself. How is it that his cabinet still listen to him or have anything to do with him? Lord knows what he promised Mr Zelensky, when they first met, in order for Mr Zelensky to congratulate him on his vote of confidence majority. I doubt he would have bothered had Boris not made some sort of promise, which he will no doubt in the future deny, or claim it was unintended.

 

But I digress. Why Northern Ireland seeks to remain part of the United Kingdom is a mystery. They have been misled and lied to by the UK Government for just on 100 years since its creation by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 which came into force on the 3^rd of May 1921. It has a population of just under 2 million people. After all the shenanigans of recent times why on earth does it still wish to be part of the United Kingdom. Given the latest election results, it seems likely that they could be more inclined to go their own way, just as the Scots appear to wish to do. I really have no idea, but I would urge the Northern Irish to carefully consider their position, because Boris Johnson will do nothing to help them. He will make it seems as if he is, but in reality will only be doing something if it helps Boris Johnson. He doesn’t do others. He only does himself, and any transgression from that is unintended and inadvertent.