Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Poots facing border posts legal move EU boss: Dodds and Foster don’t like each other
DUP leadership hopeful Edwin Poots is to face a legal challenge over work being stopped on border control posts at Northern Ireland ports.
Papers have been lodged at the High Court in Belfast by an unidentified member of Sinn Fein claiming the move was an abuse of power for political reasons.
In February acting Agriculture Minister Gordon Lyons ordered a halt to construction of post-brexit inspection facilities for food products arriving from Britain.
But lawyers for the man behind the challenge claim the minister’s party colleague, Mr Poots, has maintained the block since returning to the position following surgery.
He is now seeking a judicial review, alleging an improper motive behind the decision. An unlawful failure to consult ministerial colleagues in Stormont’s power-sharing regime is also being contended.
Describing himself as a “strong supporter of the Good Friday Agreement”, the Sinn Fein member behind the legal action wished to reman anonymous.
Solicitor Paul Farrell of Mcivor Farrell, who represents the applicant, said: “Our client is of the firm view that the decision of the DUP Minister in acting unilaterally and without the support of the Executive committee is unlawful and deserving of judicial scrutiny.
“The decision has had a detrimental effect on the good governance in the North, and has created political uncertainty at a time of potential crisis and further civil disorder.”
THE EU’S former chief Brexit negotiator says he found it “difficult to stay calm” while meeting the DUP’S Arlene Foster and Diane Dodds.
Michel Barnier has published diaries which he kept during the negotiations, the BBC reported yesterday.
He recounts a meeting with a DUP delegation in Brussels in October 2018 which focused on the backstop.
Mr Barnier writes of his frustration, saying the DUP “oppose everything” and “don’t want to hear about the concrete proposals we are making”. He also assessed that Diane Dodds – the party’s MEP at the time – and DUP leader Arlene Foster “don’t like each other and it shows”.
However Mr Barnier is not entirely negative about the two women, describing Mrs Dodds as “elegant and competent” and Mrs Foster as
“precise and pragmatic in her questions”.
In the same October diary entry Mr Barnier has warm words for the Ulster Unionist Party’s former MEP Jim Nicholson, describing him as a man he likes because of his sincerity.
The book, The Grand Illusion; the secret journal of Brexit 2016-2020, was published in French on Thursday.