Boris Johnson Will Sacrifice Northern Ireland To Get Deal Through, Says Caller

11 October 2019, 14:43 | Updated: 11 October 2019, 14:46

Caller predicts Boris Johnson will get his deal through even if he has to sacrifice Northern Ireland and "leave a mess behind."

John from Edinburgh said that Boris Johnson is the "man of the moment".

He continued: "But I've always taken the view with Boris he will deliver Brexit in any which way that he can", even if that means "people will be sacrificed or he'll leave a mess behind, which won't be immediately apparent as everybody will be caught up in the euphoria of the moment."

"He will probably resign and go and do a nice book tour or a lecturing tour and make a fortune that way. But he will have his Churchill moment."

Shelagh asked: "What will that look like, though, because there's a lot of time between now and VE Day?"

"I think that if things go well for him next week, he'll probably convince the DUP that it's only the beginning of the negotiations, so we'll sign something next week. It's still going to take a number of years to actually negotiate all the detail.

"By that time, you might have a possibility of negotiating the backstop out because technology will have caught up, but otherwise you won't pay your bills in the interim for Northern Ireland."

John continued: "He'll probably do that then lead the party probably to victory."

"Let's say he gets a deal, he was always going to face the same difficulties that Mrs May did. When he comes back with that deal, if that's what happens, it's going to displease someone in the House of Commons, won't it?" asked Shelagh.

John replied: "I think it'll displease the DUP but I think they'll probably vote for it."

"What's the evidence for the DUP softening? They don't normally soften on anything."

John replied: "One of the things they are are realists. So if Boris turns round to them quietly and says 'Look either you back this thing in some way shape or form then renegotiate it over the coming years, or we simply cut you off from the Treasury. Now what do you want?' That's the simple thing."

"What do you mean cut you off from Treasury?" asked Shelagh.

"He would sacrifice the North of Ireland," said John.

"Oh I think so too," said Shelagh, "I think he would, whether he will and on what basis is a different question."

"I think he'd be good-looking politically if he does," said John to which Shelagh asked: "To whom?"

He replied: "To a lot of people who really don't care about the North of Ireland, which is probably the majority of people in the House of Commons."