May’s impartiality on North deal called into question

THE Taoiseach has questioned Theresa May’s impartiality on the process of getting the Northern administration back up and running.

Mr Varadkar pointed to the fact that the British government is reliant on the DUP to keep it in power, and can therefore be held to ransom by its 10 MPs.

“What you have at the moment is a British government that is dependent on one party in Northern Ireland for its survival,” the Taoiseach told guests at INM’s Brexit conference at Trinity College, Dublin.

Meanwhile, President Michael D Higgins also spoke of his concerns for the peace process during his visit to Greece.

“A new generation, North and south, have little memory of the violence and bloodshed,” he said. “New institutions of North-south co-operation have ensured a wide range of shared endeavours in health, agriculture, trade, tourism and many other spheres of activity.

“As I have said, the intention of the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union and the lack of clarity about its relationship with the union after March 2019 has potentially grave consequences for the island of Ireland, and could present a serious challenge to the peace process.”

Talks on a return to powersharing in Stormont remain stuck, despite a deal apparently being reached by both Sinn Féin and the DUP last week.

DUP leader Arlene Foster pulled out at the 11th hour, amid pressure from the party’s 10 Westminster MPs.

“The Good Friday Agreement is very clear. It says the sovereign government has to act with total impartiality, but it is difficult for them to do so at the moment given that their government is dependant on one party in the North,” said Mr Varadkar yesterday.

Last December, the DUP used its power over Mrs May to scupper a deal she made with Brussels aimed at protecting the Irish Border. “That’s not a healthy place to be in but it’s the real politick,” said Mr Varadkar.

The persistent stalemate in the North has sparked fears of an imminent return to direct rule – where the British government retakes responsibility for governing the North.

Such a scenario would be regarded as a serious failure of the political establishment, particularly because the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is just weeks away.

Moreover, it’s hard to see how the situation would be improved by Westminster taking the reins, due to the heavy and complicated burden of Brexit.

The Taoiseach said reinstating Stormont would only be really possible through combined action by the Irish and British governments. “Things only ever really move forward in Northern Ireland when the British and Irish governments work together.”