Irish reactions to Johnson's resignation

[Taytocrisps]

I've just been watching the lunchtime news and I was amused to listen to the Irish leaders' reactions to Johnson's resignation. Leo's was a polite way of saying, Good riddance to bad rubbish. Mary Lou was her usual scathing self.

On a more serious note, I feel sorry for the people of NI. Yet another new Secretary of State for NI.

His hard Brexit was a disaster for Anglo Irish relations. The Protocol is a sweet deal for firms in the North . And parties in favour of it won the elections there. But still he tried to unpick it , all to appease the nutters in his own ranks.

This is a tricky month in N Ireland. I'm glad his focus is now somewhere else tbh. Let's hope his ultimate replacement has a more constructive attitude to us and the EU.

Its striking how Fine Gael - always more Anglophile in the past - have lost it with the Tories.

Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire Shailesh Vara has been appointed new Northern Ireland Secretary replacing Brandon Lewis, who has resigned from Boris Johnson's cabinet. For how long this appointment will last with the current Johnson semi-resignation/Tory Party shenanigans, and whether this will change anything in Noah Donohoe's case - and with the Public Interest Immunity Certificate application the Secretary of State decides upon - who knows at this point. The petition and the fight for truth and justice for Noah and his mummy Fiona continues. 💙

Boris Johnson, Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-62070376

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/shailesh-vara-who-is-the-new-secretary-of-state-for-northern-ireland-41822017.html

www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-07-07/shailesh-vara-appointed-new-ni-secretary

www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/cambs-mp-shailesh-vara-secretary-24424902

The new Secretary of State for NI thinks that NI is in Great Britain. So he's off to a great start

😮

It's also being reported that Mr Vara had to ask whether or not he needed his passport to travel to NI. He's not new to NI, having been a minister in the NI Office under Theresa May for 5 months.

Brandon Lewis isn't a hard act to follow, but still...

We can only hope and pray that Mr Vara shows more sense when considering the PSNI's shifty application for a Public Interest Immunity Certificate to keep files secret in their highly suspect investigation into the disappearance and death of wee Noah Donohoe.

"It's also being reported that Mr Vara had to ask whether or not he needed his passport to travel to NI."

Words fail me......... Although I don't know why I'm surprised.

I bet he doesn't even know what Tayto Crisps are !

Somebody do the man a favour and introduce him to them, quick - it's our civic duty!

To be fair, the other side must be put:
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ni-secretary-shailesh-vara-responds-24459465

Looks like it will be a choice between Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.
Not a great choice to my mind :
Rishi married to a "non dom for tax reasons" despite living in the Uk and having a home and children there while Rishi was Chancellor of the Exchequer

• you couldn't make it up.

Penny Mordaunt and the gender debate. Shifting her stance when it is politically expedient to do so.

I wonder where they stand on the NI Protocol ?

Latest news on the new NI Secretary, who is backing Sunak - please join this thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4599643-noah-donohoe-the-latest-news-is-very-bad

Unfortunately, because of reports from a vocal minority complaining about it, this thread for Noah has just been moved by MNHQ to the quiet backwater of the Petitions board. I can only guess about the true motivations of the reporters.