Sir, – In the seemingly endless debate on the Northern Ireland protocol, one could be excused for thinking that Newton Emerson has given the DUP a large dose of the benefit of the doubt, (“Donaldson finds himself hoist on DUP petard”, Opinion, June 9th).
Most objective commentators both here and in the UK believe that the economic and constitutional arguments against the protocol are entirely bogus. In a recent address to a House of Lords subcommittee on the protocol, Jeffrey Donaldson made yet another unsubstantiated claim that “an all-island economy does not exist”.
Tell that to the milk producers in Northern Ireland who export around 900 million litres of milk to the Republic every year and whose incomes would vanish if the protocol was overturned.
While the DUP sought to heighten these unwarranted claims in order to boost their electoral campaign in the recent election, their subsequent approach only goes to indicate clearly that they have reverted to their historic opposition to the primary elements of the Good Friday Agreement. A non-unionist first minister is unpalatable and a hard border on the island of Ireland is not so bad.
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If the majority of unionist voters now agree, so be it, they will have arrived at their endgame as planned.
– Yours, etc,
MARTIN MC DONALD
Terenure, Dublin 12.
Sir, – In the lead up to the UK Brexit vote and in following years, the Irish political machine, business leaders and diplomatic service were very effective in getting the message out around the EU and wider world of the potential damage that a hard border would do to Ireland and to the peace process.
Unfortunately, this “soft power” barrage is unfinished business. Once again, we need to let it be known among our EU partners and wider community that the proposed UK changes to the Northern Ireland protocol (an international agreement that the UK signed up to) are a cynical attempt by a weakened prime minister to shore up support from the hard right faction of the Tory Party using Northern Ireland as political leverage against the EU, to gain further concessions from the EU.
– Yours, etc,
JOHN MARKEY,
Julianstown, Co Meath.
Sir, – A simple fix that would please the DUP and the UK and the EU would be to create a land border dividing Northern Ireland so that the DUP and its supporters would live in half and the rest of the population would live in the other half. At least it would recognise reality.
– Yours, etc,
KIM MASTERS
Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
Sir, – I wonder if the British government’s action regarding the Northern Ireland protocol, is nothing but a negotiation policy.
The policy will later be allowed to stay, if items a, b, c are accepted by Europe.
Items a, b, c being more important to Britain than Northern Ireland.
– Yours, etc,
PADDY JOHNSON,
Ennistymon, Co Clare
Sir, – The Tories in the UK have traditionally been known as a party of law and order.
Judging by the Northern Ireland protocol they are no longer a party of law and are unconcerned if their policies lead to disorder.
– Yours, etc,
TIM McCormick
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6