The first solid sign
of defiance noted since that earth-moving debate on the Claire Byrne show, was
Simon Coveney declining to nominate a representative to help organise Centenary
events. This is bigger than some might think. Is Secretary of State
Brandon Lewis so out of touch with the UK’s closest neighbour, Ireland that he
thought the Irish government would actually nominate someone to help organise
events to celebrate the partition of the island of Ireland?
From the British government’s point of view, I’m sure they felt the likes of
Micheál Martin and Simon Coveney would be more than happy to facilitate events
to commemorate partition when we look at their form prior to the debate.
However, with the DUP’s contribution to the unity conversation being nothing
but throw- away threats and Jamie Bryson’s contribution nothing but babble, the
NIO may have underestimated the effect that debate on the Claire Byrne show has
had on the Irish government and the way they have been forced to react to
rising unity sentiments in the South and rising Protocol tensions in the North.
Has the Southern government grown a set of proverbial balls? Or has the
frosty relationship between the UK and the EU spilled over into the
relationship between the UK and Ireland? Realistically, it’s a mixture of
both.
The South has enough on its plate at the minute with Covid still at high enough
levels to warrant grave concern, vaccine roll-out is being hindered by
mismanagement and ‘jabs for the boys’ and an extremely weak government in
general that has been shown to have facilitated spying on disabled children,
leaks of confidential medical documents with the current Taoiseach and his
party haemorrhaging support which will ultimately lead to a massive loss in votes.
The last thing this government needs is to alienate a growing nationalist
movement in the South who will not stand for the Irish government nominating
someone to celebrate the one thing that is keeping this country
divided…partition.
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