Eu brexit

Irexit: Expert says ‘leaving on WTO terms isn’t option for Ireland’

Professor Anthony Coughlan, retired Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Social Policy at Trinity College, Dublin, said Mr Sunak was also backed as he was seen as the man who was responsible for the downfall of Boris Johnson whom he said was “absolutely hated” in Dublin. Ms Truss is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to replace the outgoing Mr Johnson, who is carrying on in a caretaker capacity until the roughly 200,000 Conservative Party members have made their decision, with the result due on September 5.

• Nuclear armageddon warning: BILLIONS to be wiped off Earth
• Call to remember ordeal of PoWs on VJ Day anniversary

However, Mr Coughlan said if the MP for South-West Norfolk succeeds in her quest, it will be a crushing blow to Taoiseach Micheal Martin, his predecessor Leo Varadkar, and the rest of the country’s political establishment.

The academic, a staunch backer of Ireland following the UK out of the bloc with a so-called Irexit, said there was “no doubt” that the “predominant political opinion” in his homeland “would prefer Rishi Sunak as the new UK Prime Minister”.

He explained: “This comes through in regular commentary on the contest in all the main Irish papers.

Liz Truss and Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheal Martin (Image: GETTY)

Rishi Sunak is the preferred choice of the Irish establishment, said Mr Coughlan (Image: GETTY)

Boris Johnson is absolutely hated here for his role in achieving Brexit

Anthony Coughlan

“The most obvious reason is that most of the committed Brexiteer MPs – whom our local establishment hate – are backing Liz Truss, even though she voted Remain.

“Sunak is regarded as a ‘traditional Treasury man’, a safe pair of hands who is unlikely to adopt any of the radical measures that are required to take advantage of the opportunities of Brexit and deal with Britain’s economic problems – even though he voted Leave.”

Mr Coughlan added: “Also Sunak is seen as the person most responsible for bringing down Boris Johnson, who is absolutely hated here for his role in achieving Brexit and bringing about the Conservative 80-seat majority in 2019.

JUST IN: Brexit Britain to launch legal proceedings with EU

Boris Johnson and Micheal Martin exchange lockdown greetings – but the PM is not popular in Dublin (Image: GETTY)

• Two more down as Zelensky’s heroes BATTER Putin warehouses
• Truss sent Brexit ultimatum as EU blame game fuels Labour plot

“Whereas Truss did not plot against Johnson and has continued serving in government.

“Sunak is also seen as the person likely be most emollient and compliant vis-a-vis the EU as regards re-negotiating the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“The europhile Irish Establishment is happy with the sea-border aspect of that and wants minimum changes made in it.

DON’T MISS Brexit LIVE: ‘No clear impact’ UK GDP at same level as EU countries [LIVE BLOG] Putin’s allies LOSE IT over footage of life returning to normal [VIDEO] Jacob Rees-Mogg delivers withering attack on Rishi Sunak [INTERVIEW]

Liz Truss is seen as a strong favourite to be the UK’s next PM (Image: GETTY)

Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar in Dublin (Image: GETTY)

“Truss is seen as the person most likely to stand up to EU bullying and pressure.”

As Foreign Secretary, Ms Truss is the driving force behind new legislation she claims will fix the problems which parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol have created and help uphold the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

Speaking in February on the day prior to the Bill’s second reading, she said: “Our overriding priority is protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, the bedrock of peace and stability in Northern Ireland – as it stands the Protocol is undermining this delicate balance.

Liz Truss factfile (Image: Express)

“This legislation will fix the problems the Protocol has created, ensuring that goods can flow freely within the UK, while avoiding a hard border and safeguarding the EU Single Market.

“A negotiated solution has been and remains our preference, but the EU continues to rule out changing the Protocol itself – even though it is patently causing serious problems in Northern Ireland – which therefore means we are obliged to act.”

Since launching her campaign, Ms Truss has also vowed to take a combative approach, pledging to “bulldoze” through “endless government bureaucracy” as PM and vowing not “take no for an answer”.

Leo Varadkar is scheduled to return as Taoiseach later this year (Image: GETTY)

Asked last month about how she would confront the Treasury, which she has labelled as resistant to change, the Tory leadership hopeful told reporters in Peterborough: “What I would do and I’ve done this as Foreign Secretary, I’ve done this as trade secretary, is I’ve bulldozed through the blockages.

“I get stuff done, whether it’s the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, whether it’s the dozens of trade deals, whether it’s the sanctions regime on Russia – we’ve now got the toughest sanctions – because I don’t take no for an answer and I go in and I fight for what is right, I hear what people say.”

She said that “endless government bureaucracy” is a “waste of taxpayers’ money” and “causing real pain to people in very, very difficult circumstances”.

Ms Truss added: “I’m the person who is prepared to be bold, to take on the status quo and say let’s do things differently.”

• Brexit: Truss told to scrap Sunak’s ‘global tax stitch-up’
• Liz Truss urged to stand up to Brexit-bashing Joe Biden
• Brexiteers REJOICE! Gina Miller GIVES UP on Britain rejoining EU
• Brexit LIVE: ‘Relations will get worse’ European Union fears erupt
• Gove confronted in furious Brexit row over 30-hour easyJet delay

Jacob rees-Mogg says UK has not yet seen the benefits of Brexit

A disgruntled passenger who faced severe delays to her easyJet flight blamed Brexit for the issues. While queuing at Athens airport, passenger Candida Jones spotted Mr Gove in a similar predicament and confronted the politician about the issues. Ms Jones, who is a former Labour councillor, described Mr Gove as being “polite but very passive-aggressive”.

• Truss sent urgent plea to name ‘brave and wise’ Chancellor
• Sturgeon ponders over green crackdown of Scottish whisky industry

She said he insisted the delays were not caused by Brexit.

Ms Jones challenged the politician – who was one of the leading advocates for Brexit – to name “opportunities” which have arisen from leaving the EU, to which he responded by citing agricultural reforms and the vaccine rollout.

Speaking to the Mirror about the encounter, Ms Jones claimed: “I said ‘come on, this is just ridiculous.

“There’s nothing about being an EU member that in any way impeded us from doing the vaccine rollout sooner’.

Michael Gove has been confronted in a furious Brexit row over a 30-hour EasyJet delay (Image: Getty)

“I said ‘you are a smart guy, and know what you are telling me is not true, and you have got to stop treating the British people as if we’re stupid.”

She described Mr Gove as being “polite but very passive-aggressive”.

Ms Jones continued: “He said, I’m on my holiday and this is not the appropriate place for this conversation – that was the gist.

“I said yes, and I’m on my holiday and I’ve spent 30 hours trying to get home!”

LIVE UPDATES: Brexit LIVE: ‘Relations will get worse’ European Union fears erupt

Michael Gove was one of the leading advocates for Brexit (Image: Getty)

Ms Jones, who faced severe delays to her easyJet flight, blamed Brexit for the issues. (Image: Getty)

• Brexit: Truss told to scrap Sunak’s ‘global tax stitch-up’
• Joe Biden told to ‘show some respect and stop undermining Britain’

She said Mr Gove’s words implied: “I thank you for the opportunity of hearing your views but I don’t think you and I are going to persuade each other.”

While the 50-year-old blamed Brexit for the delays, she admitted it is “impossible for anyone to quantify” how much airport delays are due to Brexit, compared to post-Covid staff shortages.

However, she noted that several public figures have been “pointing the finger squarely at Brexit and saying the issues in the UK are compounded by Brexit.”

DON’T MISS: Brexit: Truss told to scrap Sunak’s ‘global tax stitch-up’ [INSIGHT] Liz Truss urged to stand up to Brexit-bashing Joe Biden [REACTION] EU to use IndyRef2 plot to make relations ‘more difficult’ with UK [REVEAL]

Key moments that led to Brexit (Image: Express)

An ally of Mr Gove told the Mirror: “He was polite as always”.

Writing about the situation on Twitter, Ms Jones said: “Almost 30hr delay to our @easyjet flight now.

“I’m told the problem’s a lack of staff due to the pandemic compounded, in the case of the UK, by #Brexit.

Ms Jones described Mr Gove as being ‘polite but very passive-aggressive’ (Image: Getty)

“So it’s at least some consolation to find arch Brexiteer @michaelgove caught up in the same s***show #BrexitChaos #BrexitShambles”.

When asked by another Twitter user, Phil Simmons (@biffboff75) if she had “discussed” the issue with Mr Gove, Ms Jones responded: “Oh yes”.

Another user, Ming Ho (@Minghowriter) asked: “What did he say to justify it?”, the passenger responded: “He thanked me for the opportunity of hearing that my daughter’s opportunities have been diminished by Brexit.”

• Brexit: Truss told to scrap Sunak’s ‘global tax stitch-up’
• US warned against ‘bloodbath’ war as China has spent YEARS preparing
• Brexiteers REJOICE! Gina Miller GIVES UP on Britain rejoining EU
• Chelsea hero Joe Cole hails club’s Brexit transfer decision
• Joe Biden told to ‘show some respect and stop undermining Britain’