Stop ‘pussyfooting around Ireland’ – Paisley warns UK

THE UK should stop “pussyfooting” around Ireland and make life hard for the Government as a response to its “disgraceful” behaviour in current negotiations, Ian Paisley Jr has said.

The Democratic Unionist MP made the suggestion to a committee in Westminster examining the future of the Irish Border after Brexit.

It comes amid growing concerns in Europe that the impasse over the Border question is unresolved because of the uncompromising position of the DUP, which is propping up the Tory government.

Mr Paisley told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee the “pussyfooting needs to stop”.

“I think our neighbour has acted disgracefully,” said Mr Paisley, who is separately under investigation by the UK parliamentary watchdog over claims he failed to declare holidays to Sri Lanka.

Mr Paisley reported himself to the parliamentary commissioner for standards over claims he didn’t declare £100,000 (€113,000) in hospitality from the Sri Lankans.

He denies any impropriety. At the committee, Mr Paisley said the UK had loaned Ireland “billions” of pounds to bail it out of “economic ruin and bankruptcy”.

“That message needs to be spelt out, they need to start acting in a mature way and dealing with us as good neighbours and as friends instead of trying to frustrate the will of the people of the UK, by saying they want a united Ireland, they want this part of the sovereign territory of her majesty’s kingdom to remain out with the rest of the agreements,” he said.