Northern Ireland

Arlene Foster blames Fine Gael's 'aggressive nationalism' for deteriorating between unionists and the south

Arlene Foster with the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in March 2020. Picture by Alan Lewis - Photopress
Arlene Foster with the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in March 2020. Picture by Alan Lewis - Photopress Arlene Foster with the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in March 2020. Picture by Alan Lewis - Photopress

ARLENE Foster believes relations between unionists and the southern government are at their lowest point for decades – and she blames the “aggressive nationalism” of Fine Gael.

The former first minister turned GB News commentator and newspaper columnist acknowledges that the protocol was “hugely damaging to my time as leader”.

“I couldn’t have done any more to alert the prime minister to the problems that would arise, but when you are the DUP leader you are blamed regardless,” she said.

Mrs Foster claims the previous Leo Varadkar-led Dublin government showed no desire to “protect the gains of the peace process”.

She said its respect for the principle of consent was “at best fleeting and at worst non-existent”.

“Relationships with the Dublin government have never been at such a lower ebb since I became involved in frontline politics, particularly with Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar,” she told the Sunday Times.

“They refuse to deal with the practical reality of the principle of consent, ie that Northern Ireland is a full member of the UK. They have used their position to undermine the constitutional position here. I can only put their aggressive nationalism down to the growth of Sinn Féin in the Republic.”

The former DUP leader said she and her deputy Nigel Dodds warned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the protocol's "implications for the union and for businesses and consumers – we couldn’t have been clearer".

"Of course it is hugely disappointing that Boris, under pressure, gave into the protocol as proposed by Leo Varadkar, and all that it has brought," she said.

“When it came into being in January, I and colleagues tried to deal with the problems as they arose but it soon became clear this wasn’t possible and fundamental change was needed."

Mrs Foster declined to name the DUP figures behind the putsch that saw her ousted as leader.

“Because I don’t want to damage the union and everything associated with it, I’m not going to get into personalities, and anyway I think everyone knows who was behind the coup,” she said. “Whatever their motivation, it was certainly not for the benefit of the union.”

She said she still has many good friends within the DUP, describing them as “people who, when you were in the trenches, were not only beside you but going over the top with you”.

“Nigel Dodds was always a tower of strength during my time as leader and has continued to be so. He and Diane [Dodds] are personal friends and will remain so,” she said.

“I have had many conversations with Jeffrey Donaldson and no doubt will continue to chat throughout the coming months.”

The former first minister said the north needs a strong unionist party but that “division will destroy our ability to make Northern Ireland a success”.

Fine Gael TD, Neale Richmond described the former DUP leader's comments as the "incessant need to demonise" his party leadership as a "reckless strategy that comes with very real consequences".

The Dublin TD said that despite holding the balance of power at Westminster, the DUP under Mrs Foster's leadership never sought to mitigate the impact of Brexit, which the party had campaigned for.