Sir, – Niall Ginty (Letters, July 4th) accuses the Irish negotiators in relation to Brexit of dismissing any possibility for “an agreed Brexit”.
He blames the Irish for the consequences for “the integrity of the Belfast Agreement” and “the disaster for the Irish economy” of a Brexit “crash out” by the UK.
He also describes the Irish stance in the negotiations as “pride”.
The Irish, through their membership of the EU, have taken part in negotiations and have an agreement with the UK negotiators to show for it.
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Blaming the Irish for the consequences of Brexiteers in the UK being so extreme that they will not sign an agreement negotiated on their behalf by their own negotiators just replicates what much of the London media goes on with daily.
The EU is the most advanced effort at international co-operation in the world.
It is an attempt by European democracies, many of them former colonies, to ensure that there is no return to the divisions of the past in Europe.
Through their refusal to sign an agreement negotiated with the rest of the EU Brexiteers are in danger of tearing up this agreement.
They have also in danger of tearing up the Belfast Agreement signed with this former colony to draw a line under centuries of colonial rule.
In terms of European co-operation and Irish co-operation a Brexit crash-out by the UK is going to be very bad.
Daily much of the London media blame the Irish for that and Mr Ginty is just repeating that.
It has to be said, therefore, that making a scapegoat of the Irish for the more extreme consequences of Brexit, as the London media has done, is indefensible.
Accusing this former colony of “pride” when it challenges its former colonial master for threatening to tear up a mutual international agreement is to put it mildly not sensible.
A Brexit crash-out should be challenged for what it is – a declaration of economic war on European countries and especially on this former colony.
In addition, the blame for the consequences should be allocated to where it belongs – the decades-long anti-EU propaganda in the London media and the recent actions of extremist Brexiteers. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton, Dublin 13.