David Trimble spoke candidly to Sean O’Rourke on Tuesday morning to reflect on the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement signing.
David Trimble, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, has criticised Leo Varadkar in his role of Taoiseach, claiming that he believes Varadkar’s takeover of the role from Enda Kenny was a bad move for the country.
Trimble spoke on RTÉ Radio 1′s Today with Sean O’Rourke on Tuesday morning about life after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and his tenure as UUP chief.
Upon being asked by O’Rourke whether he has detected a change in the approach of the Dublin government since Enda Kenny’s departure and Leo Varadkar’s arrival in the office of Taoiseach, Trimble replied: “I don’t think it’s been a change for the better.”
And when asked for a follow-up response to elaborate on that, the former Ulster Unionist Party leader was hesitant to elaborate.
“I think I’ve said enough,” he told the presenter.
He also dismissed any idea that Northern Ireland would become a separate entity to the United Kingdom in the wake of Brexit.
“The thought that they can separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom, that is what some people are talking about,” Trimble began.
“By saying that somehow, we’re going to keep Northern Ireland within Europe, while the rest of the United Kingdom goes off. Now that is really daft, it factually ignores the basic principles laid down in the agreement.”
Trimble, who now sits in the House of Lords, spoke on the programme to discuss the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, an event which is being marked on Tuesday, April 10.
The former UUP leader won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in sealing the landmark 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
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