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02nd Jul 2019

DUP Brexit spokesperson: ‘If you stand up to Ireland, then they will take you seriously’

Rory Cashin

Strong words.

The DUP’s Brexit spokesperson Sammy Wilson made his beliefs clear during an interview on Tuesday morning, in which he argues that both Leo Varadkar, and Ireland in general, will have their opinion on Brexit changed if faced with enough pressure.

Wilson spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, where he made the following statements:

“Look, we know the Irish. If you vacillate, they’ll push you around; if you stand up to them, they will start to take you seriously.”

“The one thing I do know is that once Dublin knows that you mean what you say and say what you mean, then I think that you sometimes find that they’ve a different attitude.”

Speaking specifically about Ireland’s Taoiseach’s stance on the situation, Wilson said:

“Leo Varadkar’s view on how Brexit should be negotiated is not a unanimous view in the Republic. There are many people in the Republic who now are thinking that Ireland has perhaps overstretched itself, overstated its case, and that stance could damage the Irish economy.

“I think that will put immense pressure on Leo Varadkar to look at a different attitude.”

Earlier this year, Wilson was put on blast both by an MP for the SNP, as well as an Independent MP, with both times Wilson put on defensive for his opinions on the current Brexit situation and the potential fallout directly relating to the Belfast Agreement.

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