DUBLIN – Steve Baker says he has a dream – that one day, Jeffrey Donaldson and the Brexiteer Tories’ European Research Group will join him in forming a new partnership with Ireland.
Britain’s junior Northern Ireland Office minister stole the show at the end of Thursday’s joint British-Irish government meeting in Dublin.
It focused on finding a way to repair Northern Ireland’s political process which has been severely damaged by Brexit and the resulting trade protocol, which requires EU checks on British goods arriving at Northern Ireland ports. it occurs.
Way forward, both governments agree, hope to have a successful agreement soon ongoing London-Brussels talks Protocol for Donaldson will make substantial changes to investigation Democratic Unionist Party To stop blocking The formation of a new cross-community government in Stormont was a key goal of the 1998 peace accords in Northern Ireland.
Journalists later pressed Baker and his Northern Ireland Office superior, Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris, on whether they were maintaining common cause behind the Westminster scenes with Donaldson and the Tory camp of arch-Brexiters and compromise-destroyers.
Since taking the number 2 ministerial job in Belfast, Baker has apologized For a demand for Brexit that did not adequately consider the damage it would do to the hard-won political balance in Northern Ireland.
To the visible delight of Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin, Baker defended his ongoing chats with Donaldson and members of an ERG pressure group on the Damascus Road rhetoric, saying he had made it when Brexit was still a “sunshine”. and Heaton-Harris played the leading role. Upland” dream.
He also upstaged his boss by demonstrating ease with the language of Irish nationalism, which includes Gaelic office titles that can confuse English eyeballs.
While Heaton-Harris muttered his own hesitant attempt to say Martin’s title for deputy prime minister again — Taniste, pronounced TAW-nish-tuh — Baker delivered it smoothly.
“I am very proud that two former ERG presidents have been part of the complete transformation – if I may say so, Tanaiste – and I am delighted,” Baker said at the press conference. “Because we’re on a positive trajectory together now. We’re always going to face problems, but we’re going to face those problems together and face them.”
As for Donaldson and his ongoing discussions with the Tory cauldron of ERG hardliners, Baker presented it as the necessary diplomacy to move them towards more moderate positions: “I am very hopeful that we will be able to engage with the DUP and Eurosceptic MPs in our relationship”. to the same positive place with Ireland.”
‘Substance and breadth’
It was music to the ears for Martin, a compromise figure who stepped down as Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach (TEE-SHAK) only last month. Martin, distraught by a serious deterioration in relations with the Conservative Party in recent years, insisted on confrontation with Brussels, an approach that often included shrink For views of Dublin.
“Can I support what Steve just said,” Martin told reporters. “I don’t think we’ve had such a comprehensive British-Irish intergovernmental conference in one day, in terms of content and breadth and range of subjects covered.”
Martin attributed this rapid improvement in London–Dublin relations to the September work of Heaton-Harris and Baker in the Belfast portfolio, then prime minister. Rishi Sunakcame to power weeks later.
“We want to maintain this momentum in British-Irish relations and we want to work patiently, understanding each other’s positions, working through the challenges,” Martin said.
The post-meeting press conference narrowly avoided ending on a more sour note. Minders tried to put a stop to this when a reporter asked Heaton-Harris if he would apologize last week for his government’s decision, in the same way as Baker. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to be barred From a major Belfast meeting to discuss UK-EU talks on setting protocol.
Heaton-Harris refused to express any regret for the incident which ended as a propaganda debacle for Irish republicans.
“What’s in the past is in the past. We move on. Thank you,” Heaton-Harris would say on sudden diplomatic aim.
Earlier, he had been joking with Baker about his current relationship with ERG members. Asked whether they attended the latest ERG gathering with Donaldson on Monday, both said no.
“I see Jeffrey often and I see my good friends at ERG often, but I wasn’t at that meeting. I wouldn’t mind attending that meeting though,” Baker said.
“I wasn’t re-inviting,” Heaton-Harris laughed, turning to Martin, “I promise you that.”