Language and the backstop

Sir, – In an important phase of Anglo-Irish relations during the fledgling part of the peace process in the 1990s, a predecessor of Boris Johnson’s, John Major, was very fond of using the term “practical operational modalities” when speaking of contemplated IRA decommissioning.

Perhaps the current UK premier would do well to focus on the same term when speaking vaguely about alternatives to the backstop. – Yours, etc,

EDMOND CANNON,

Stepaside,

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Co Dublin.