Did Rishi's mask slip just now

[TheWhalrus]

On reading this from our dear Prime Minister

"Sunak says being in single market and UK makes Northern Ireland 'world's most exciting economic zone" I can't help thinking he's overlooking something rather obvious i.e. that it might be nice for the rest of the UK to also be a part of this exciting economic zone.
www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/feb/28/rishi-sunak-uk-eu-northern-ireland-deal-brexit-tories-labour-politics-live?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-63fdd5468f08f5a1c2a0c1cd#block-63fdd5468f08f5a1c2a0c1cd

I can't help thinking this rather unguarded (but nonetheless correct) statement isn't going to go down well with the rest of his party....

James O'Brien played it on repeat. Mainly, I think, because he couldn't stop laughing.

Oh dear. His end is nigh.

Ha ha ha ha ha!
I'm very pleased if he pulls off the Northern Ireland deal but yes, given the game away a bit there! Ha ha ha!

He’s said it more than once today! I heard him interviewed on radio 4 this morning and again at lunch today.

So the single market is a good thing now is it

He'll spin it as NI having its cake and eating it but I agree it seems like a hilarious confession from someone who voted for Brexit.

I heard it on R4 this morning as well. Imagine, having access to the EU market and the UK😭

I hope the NI deal comes off but really? He won't be around long but who the fuck else is there? A school council would do better.

The irony 😩

I thought all the naysayers were happy

Even David Davis said nice things and he always skewers his own party

Steve Baker too

Not sure about the other one but who cares

Irony is dead, buried, and lying under a headstone marked 'Killed by Brexit'

I suspect he is a closet remainer, whatever his claims to the contrary.

I'm rather hoping that this might be the start of the very long and probably bumpy road taking us back towards rejoining the EU because Brexit was such a collective act of crass stupidity.

Brexit is beyond parody. You just couldn't write something like The Thick of It today because reality goes way further than any satire could.

It's hilarious - god knows how we've ended up with 2 main pro Brexit parties when the majority can now finally see what a shite idea it was.

Starmer needs to use this to reverse his position.

The weird thing is, Sunak is the 'purest' Leave PM we've had. Johnson, May and Truss were all Remainers at some point but Sunak has always been Leave.

I guess on reflection, maybe it's not that weird or surprising. May, Johnson and Truss were all Leavers for political expediency and had to prove their credentials to the ERG headbangers. E.g. May and her stupid bloody Red Lines. Sunak may actually have a genuine vision for how to make Brexit work, dare I say it. (Though I'm not holding my breath.)

tbh I’d rather Sunak who has an idea than the more cowardly doing it for votes - including Starmer

Either reverse and be damned at polls but do what you think is right

They need this to go through of course he will lay whatever, he is hardly going to say something negative to make it look shit for NI.

I have heard it several times from Brexiteers before and after the vote.

It is true that NI is in a unique position. It doesn't mean the the rest of the UK should rejoin the EU.

I get that the UK will not rejoin the EU anytime in the foreseeable future. Especially as that would mean adopting the Euro as currency.

Nonetheless, this makes it even more bizarre that the PM did just describe single-market access as 'exciting'.

Here's hoping.🤞

I agree OP - other adjectives were available like ‘pragmatic’ or ‘sensible’ or, Rishi’s favourite: ’right’. He didn’t have to go with exciting.

Just think : David Cameron frightened the Scots into voting against Independence by pointing out how awful life would be outside the Single Market 😱.

They must be fuming as they gaze across the North Channel at Ireland. But Sunak is no magician - this is May's deal.

And he was pro Brexit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Indeed. And it's still a mess. Unless you live in Northern Ireland.

Perhaps that's his next genius idea? 70m ppl can go and live there. How exciting.

It's simply that Sunak is beginning to recognise the consequences of Brexit. Of course, we won't be rejoining the single market that Thatcher strove to bring into being and whatever new EU relationship is established by Sunak or Starmer we shall be playing economic catch up for years to come. Farage, Johnson and others are to blame for misleading the numpties and Corbyn for failing to speak up for Remain.