'Not within the realms of normal behaviour': Boris Johnson savaged by Irish opposition leader

Ireland's political parties put on show of unity in face of UK hard Brexit threat

Ireland‘s opposition leader has accused Boris Johnson of abnormal political and diplomatic behaviour, in a public showing of unity between Ireland’s fierce rival political parties.

Micheál Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil, criticised the UK prime minister’s treatment of “our Taoiseach” Leo Varadkar, whose Fine Gael party is the longstanding opponent of his own.

“To be absolutely clear; the refusal by prime minister Boris Johnson to engage with European leaders and our Taoiseach without preconditions on the issue of Brexit is unacceptable and is not within the realms of normal diplomatic or political behaviour,” he said on Tuesday evening.

The Irish press reports that Mr Martin has privately ordered his allies to tone down their rhetoric when attacking the government to preserve Irish unity on Brexit and keep the focus on the UK.

Mr Johnson has refused to hold talks with the EU unless it agrees to scrap the controversial Irish backstop, which is designed to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The EU says the policy is crucial to preserve the Good Friday Agreement and that there can be no deal without it, but the DUP and Tory MPs oppose it because it treats Northern Ireland differently to Great Britain, and because it could tie the UK to EU rules.

Mr Marin’s intervention to back the government came after one of his MPs accused Mr Varadkar of a “failure to engage in basic diplomacy over the past two years” – a comment that was criticised from across the Irish political spectrum as unhelpful.

David Cullinane, a Sinn Fein frontbencher, said the critical comments were “giving succor to Boris Johnson and the hard right and stench Brexiteers in the Tory party”, which he said was against “Ireland’s interest”.

“Irish politicians need to act in unison to protect our interests,” he added.

Irish Labour leader Brendan Howlin was similarly critical of the comments, warning that it was “not the time for playing politics” because of the high risk of a no-deal Brexit.

On Tuesday the new prime minister Mr Johnson spoke to the Taoiseach on the phone, where a spokesperson said he “made clear that the UK will be leaving the EU on October 31, no matter what”.

Mr Johnson promised that “in all scenarios, the Government will be steadfast in its commitment to the Belfast Agreement and will never put physical checks or physical infrastructure on the border”.

He said it was “his clear preference is to leave the EU with a deal” but that it must not include the backstop, the spokesperson said.