As thick as thieves on Brexit

■ Many believed that during World War II Ireland, although vigorously proclaiming neutrality, was secretly very much on the side of Britain and that Winston Churchill and Éamon de Valera were bellowing biliously at each other across the Irish Sea but were, in reality, as thick as thieves.

We could be witnessing similar diplomatic strategies at work in the Brexit negotiations.

It is difficult to understand how Ireland’s public contribution towards reaching an amicable divorce between Britain and the EU should be so strident, mischievous and hostile.

Normally parties try to keep the opposition as sweet as possible so that good will, understanding, cordiality and give-and-take assist agreement satisfactory to both sides.

The EU appears to approach Brexit negotiations from an entirely different direction, ensuring Britain is belittled, humiliated, ridiculed and portrayed as incompetent in expectation of a government collapse and utter capitulation.

Ireland’s recent escapade of formalising such opinion and intentions of the 27 remaining states, and then leaking the contents could have no other objective other than bringing British pride and nationalism racing towards the surface and ensuring nothing less than the hardest Brexit, including refusal of any payments at all, will satisfy an enraged and galvanised British electorate.

William Shakespeare once wrote “the lady doth protest too much”; perhaps this sentiment could be applied to Ireland’s contribution to Brexit negotiations. Engineering an Irish general election, just as German politics slide into confusion and Spanish separatism sprouts, appears a real stroke of genius in a game of diplomatic double bluff.

Who says Britain stands alone and has no allies?

Padraic Neary Tubbercurry, Co Sligo