Sir, – A hard Brexit seems more probable as each day passes with the UK government hell bent on exiting the EU come hell or high water.
It seems to me that now is the time for straight talking from our Taoiseach when he meets the UK prime minister Boris Johnson.
He could point out to Boris Johnson that any delay in getting an agreed withdrawal is not the fault of the EU negotiators who, for some time now, had the agreed terms done and dusted and are still awaiting ratification from the UK on the matter.
Mr Johnson could be told in no uncertain manner that if they decide to crash out without a deal that the economic hardship visited on this country will be considerable but not as great as that which the UK will have to endure.
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Sooner or later a groundswell of opposition to the Brexit process will emerge and those who were mistakenly convinced or perfidiously misled into believing that Brexit is best, will have their revenge, either at the ballot box or on the streets or both. Things could get very ugly if food or medical shortages happen, with social unrest and political upheaval being the order of the day.
Our Taoiseach could explain that another referendum will most probably be demanded following a couple of years of hardship. If they are let back into Europe the UK would then have to accept the euro as their currency and pay billions in restitution to Ireland and the EU for the economic damage done to us by the Brexit process. They would also have to agree to be bound by European laws without the derogations they now enjoy.
Straight talking might bring Boris Johnson to his senses, if only from a sense of self preservation. – Yours, etc,
BOBBY CARTY,
Templeogue, Dublin 6W.