Northern Ireland

DUP MP Sammy Wilson accuses Tánaiste Simon Coveney of 'Brit bashing' in Brexit approach

The DUP MP Sammy Wilson has accused Tánaiste Simon Coveney of "Brit bashing" in his approach to Brexit. Picture by Matt Bohill
The DUP MP Sammy Wilson has accused Tánaiste Simon Coveney of "Brit bashing" in his approach to Brexit. Picture by Matt Bohill The DUP MP Sammy Wilson has accused Tánaiste Simon Coveney of "Brit bashing" in his approach to Brexit. Picture by Matt Bohill

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has accused Tánaiste Simon Coveney of being "belligerent, interfering and Brit bashing" after he dismissed suggestions technology could be used at the border after Brexit.

Mr Coveney, who is also the Republic's Foreign Minister, said the idea of any infrastructure on the border was not workable.

He added that the British and Irish governments could agree to a "shared customs space or shared customs territory".

Mr Coveney told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: "Listen to the chief constable of the PSNI. He is saying any infrastructure on the border, any physical infrastructure on the border, is going to represent a risk to his officers. He's warning not to go down that route.

"There was a clear agreement that the British prime minister signed up to that there would be no border infrastructure of any kind, on the island of Ireland and no related checks or control.

"That means we're not talking about cameras and scanning systems and drones here.

"It means we're talking about about a political solution that allows for regulatory alignment in a way that prevents the need for border infrastructure," added the Tánaiste.

Mr Coveney said that the future of the border after Brexit was "not just a trading issue".

"If you live in the island of Ireland, if you live in the border counties, if you talk to people about their memories of the past in the context of the border you will often end up talking to someone with tears in their eyes," he said.

"This is about Ireland moving forward, communities and neighbours living together."

Commenting on divisions over the approach to a solution within the British cabinet, Mr Coveney said: "To be honest we don't take our lead from Boris Johnson in relation to Brexit, we take our lead from the Prime Minister."

Mr Wilson, the DUP MP for East Antrim, accused Mr Coveney of trying to break up the UK with his "aggressive republican agenda".

"The fact is that the border issues can all be dealt with by technology but Coveney and co have stuck their heads in the sand, refusing to even consider this solution because it doesn't suit his aggressive republican agenda," he said.

"Instead he tried to flog his 'pig in a poke' solution to the EU negotiators and force it down the throat of the UK government.

"It won't work. The IRA failed to dislodge Northern Ireland from the UK with bombs, Coveney won't do it with Brexit."

The veteran DUP figure also warned the Irish government that the UK "always has the option to walk away from these negotiations with no deal".

Mr Wilson said: "That really would set the cat among the pigeons as far as the Irish economy is concerned because most of their exports to the UK would face huge tariffs and of course the import substitution which would result would massively benefit Northern Ireland agriculture and food processing.

"Think about that Mr Coveney - it might cool your republican ardour," he said.