Brexit: Irish minister compares Boris Johnson to Oliver Cromwell over suspension of parliament

‘The most anti-democratic decision since the Protectorate government’

An Irish government minister has compared Boris Johnson to Oliver Cromwell with colleagues quick to distance themselves from the remarks.

Michael D’Arcy, minister of state in Ireland, said Mr Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament was “perhaps the most anti-democratic decision since the Protectorate government, which Oliver Cromwell set up, was established”.

Mr D’Arcy later deleted the tweet about Cromwell – who remains a hated figure in Ireland for leading the conquest of the island by English parliamentary forces in 1649.

Ireland’s business minister Heather Humphreys said: “First of all, minister D’Arcy has removed that tweet. As far as we are concerned, we are not going to comment on internal British politics.”

The Irish communications Richard Bruton, another member of the Fine Gael party, said: “We are not going to get involved in British politics because they have a lot of decisions to make.”

He added: “Undoubtedly, the decisions that they make will have a big impact on us and we need to give them the time and space to do that.”

Mr Bruton said Mr Johnson’s decision to suspend the parliament increased the risk of a no-deal Brexit.

“Very clearly, the issue of resolving this is in Boris Johnson’s court and I think we await the developments in British politics,” he said.

“I think it’s very difficult to see the political hyping of the issues and the clock ticking away and a lot of political positioning rather than working on the details of how resolutions can be found,” Mr Bruton added.

“I think that’s disheartening and it does make the risks greater. That’s undoubtedly the case.”

Earlier today children’s author Philip Pullman has denied he was advocating the hanging of Boris Johnson after posting a since-deleted tweet which said he thinks of a rope and lamp-post when he hears the prime minister’s name.

Several MPs – and Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon – have accused Mr Johnson of behaving like a “dictator” over the month-long prorogation.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell compared the prime minister to both a dictator and a “clown”.

At a speech in London earlier today, Mr McDonnell said: “If you enjoy clowns my advice is go to the circus, don’t put them in No 10, in charge of our country.”

Additional reporting by PA