Johnson berated for London borough comparison

IRISH politicians have rounded on the UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson for comparing the Border with Northern Ireland to divisions between London boroughs.

The suggestion by Mr Johnson that technology was the solution to the frontier question was mocked in political circles in Britain, and drew disdain in Dublin and Belfast.

Stephen Donnelly (inset), Brexit spokesman for Fianna Fáil, recalled his years working in London after hearing Mr Johnson’s remarks.

“I lived in Camden for several years, and was never stopped crossing the ‘border’ to Islington.

“I have, however, had military rifles pointed at me when crossing into Northern Ireland in the 90s. “Suggesting Borders are the same is extraordinary,” he said.

Mr Johnson suggested crossing the Irish border could be solved in the same way technology was deployed to collect congestion charges between Camden and Westminster when he was London mayor.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he wanted to educate the Foreign Secretary about the border issues.

“When Boris Johnson decides to come down from the other planet that he clearly inhabits, he should visit the Irish border and see the scale of the challenge we’re facing with his own eyes before making further pronouncements,” the nationalist leader said.