EU friends throwing us to wolves

■ So Michel Barnier has finally declared what we all knew was inevitable – there will have to be a hard Border with the UK if it leaves the customs union.

It must surely be obvious to everyone by now that our so-called friends in the EU are anything but our friends. They will throw us to the wolves and leave us exposed in any deal they may do with the UK.

Just as they were not our friends with the onerous terms of the bailout they demanded after we had agreed to pay back the gambling debts of German and French banks.

Just as they were not our friends at a 2012 ministerial meeting when they sent Enda Kenny home waving an agreement to refinance EU banking institutions, including Irish banks with €1.3tn worth of cheap loans to EU banks, only to give Mr Kenny and Ireland the two fingers with no intention of refinancing Irish banks.

Just as they were not our friends with the attack on our democracy when they threatened us with dire consequences because of our decision to reject two valid, democratically held EU treaty referendums and sent us back to vote again, not once but twice.

Just as they are not our friends now with the latest moves to sweep the ground from under our feet by seeking to eliminate our 12.5pc corporation tax rate which would all but destroy our ability to attract foreign direct investment.

We are a population of a mere four million people on the edge of the Atlantic. Does anyone seriously think they will take our welfare and existence into their consideration in these Brexit negotiations? The sooner we all realise this the better. Anthony McGeough Dublin 24