Opinion

Parliamentary players don’t deserve credit in Brexit shoot out

Tonight’s film: Welcome to the Wild West of Europe – a dispute over a relatively small parcel of land has been taken up by a confederation of ranchers irked by one of its members cutting fences. The EU has hired Barnier and his sidekick Tusk to protect their interests. They tried to make Theresa May and her Westminster gang see sense, but have finally realised that they are dealing with a bunch of ornery critters much practised in the art of forked tongue. May had shaken hands on a deal that would let all parties water their cattle on our little six-county ranch. An option that would have brought much-needed fertility to an economic scrub land. Her squabbling hands overruled the agreement and now they follow Theresa up the main street of Dodgy for a toothless showdown. Barnier and Tusk walk to meet them with a steely  determination, passing an anxious Leo Varadkar, his hands clasped tight to his chest as he watches his heroes. The Westminster boys (and girls) follow May alternating between squabbling and veering off into side streets that turn out to be cul-de-sacs only to return to despairing looks from the towns people. It seems that more of their guns are pointed at May’s back than at the approaching gunfighters. The gang hang back as May walks on to the Brussels saloon, her hand sweating on a revolver filled with blanks. This isn’t the gang’s usual fight, these opponents have bigger guns not bows and arrows. How will it end as both sides near high noon? Will enough of the Westminster gang put their hands up and bury the hatchet on May’s sidewinder deal? Or will they bury it on Boothill and follow her into the No-Deal badlands?  All this because some cowboys don’t like aliens?


Book your seats folks to have all these questions answered in the sequel – Unforgiven. Don’t look for the parliamentary players in the end credits – they don’t deserve any.

GERARD HERDMAN


Belfast BT11

Create them and they’ll come rule applies to Derry

Derry MP Elisha McCallion, all five Derry MLAs, council and Derry business persons of influence are all have ongoing talks with Invest NI on getting properly paid jobs for Derry generated by overseas corporates.

They must therefore underline the upbeat message to Invest NI much of the critical science and technology talent needed will be on the plane home from Canada and Australia when it announces new high-end jobs for Derry in health products manufacturing or any other high end jobs sector.

Because the ‘create them and they’ll come home’ rule applies. This rule means the many Derry science and technology graduates who emigrate due to the no properly paid jobs famine, will return home to seize future newly created Invest NI jobs.

For example when NI persuades a big overseas health products manufacturer  from Japan or the US to come to Derry, there will be no problem getting the right graduates because many Derry-born science and technology graduates now overseas will return home.

Also Derry science and technology students graduating soon will also seize these jobs.


We know the create them and they’ll come home rule holds true is only a short drive away from Derry in Dungloe village, Donegal. Randox, the big health products manufacturing company located there a few years ago. Many of their scientific staff came home from overseas.

Therefore when Invest NI announces a big corporate science and technology company is coming to Derry recruitment will not be a problem.

These high-end jobs for Derry will happen because Elisha McCallion MP, local MLAs, council and business interests have the combined power to persuade Invest NI to make it happen. 

TOM BRADLEY


Derry City

Paisley should exercise caution

Yet again Ian Paisley MP hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons as the saga continues.

I refer to his comments as reported – ‘Last-minute invite reason for first class’ – when he billed a peace-building charity for almost £6,000 for first-class air travel to speak at a conference in New York.

He sought to justify the excessive expense by telling us that he was sandwiched between engagements either side of the event and his booking was only confirmed two days before the event.

It is now in the public domain that his name was included on a guest list published 15 days before the event at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan. 

This must make him rather embarrassed and ashamed if that is possible.

That revelation completely undermines his story that he had “put himself out” to attend the event at the last moment

Mr Paisley would be well advised to exercise caution as to the comments he makes as these days facts and figures are at our finger tips.

Small wonder that the political arena in Westminster and Northern Ireland is in turmoil.

JANE MOORE


Ballyclare, Co Antrim

Brexit another heroic English failure

On March 29 1912 Robert Falcon Scott (Scott of the Antarctic) died. Among his last handwritten diary entries was the anguish of “the end cannot be far”.

His final line was a plea – “For God’s sake look after our people.”

He was beaten by a month to the South Pole by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

The latter had a good strategy and was better prepared for the severe snow storms. Another heroic English failure.

The alleged Brexit departure will be cursed by the English tendency for hubris and arrogance.  

BRIAN WILSON


Craigavon, Co Armagh

Vote to leave will be respected

At last the Irish establishment has accepted Brexit means Brexit. No more referendums.  The vote to leave will be respected. Deal or no deal Brexit is going ahead.

Brexit is catastrophic for the EU not the UK. It won’t be long before there is a queue of countries telling Brussels they are leaving.

German car makers are very nervous. Britain is their largest export market so they will tell the EU to back down and sort out a deal with Theresa May pronto.  

To hear the Leinster House politicians describe the EU eurocrats as ‘partners’ is hilarious. The original Tories were Anglo-Irish who refused to give in to Cromwell. Their decendents are just as tough.

MICHAEL O'FLYNN


Friars Walk, Cork

Protestants also suffered persecution

For generations Irish Catholics have been made aware of the persecution they suffered. I can see no future for Ireland until Irish historians educate the Irish people with details of how we Protestants also have suffered numerous attacks.

While this denial exists we will have patriotic young Irishmen resorting to violence to avenge what they believe, which is that only Irish Catholics have been persecuted.

JOE KYLE


Cullybackey, Co Antrim