Former NI Sec @PeterHain tells @CarolineWyatt that Boris Johnson should visit NI as soon as possible: “He needs to visit Belfast along with the SoS and meet political leaders and loyalist representatives as well...[loyalism] needs to be listened to and it hasn’t been.”
“When you’ve had a prime minister and SoS who simply haven’t told the truth about the consequences of the particular form of Brexit they pursued- a de facto border check system across the Irish Sea, then inevitably the loyalism community feels it’s been lied to.” #bbcwtw
Hain was Labour NI Sec from 2005-07
He goes on
“This is playing out after years of casual indifference to NI. I would support any of my successors regardless of party...but the only good one since 2010, and he didn’t last long as BJ got rid of him, was @JulianSmithUK.”
He goes on
“This is playing out after years of casual indifference to NI. I would support any of my successors regardless of party...but the only good one since 2010, and he didn’t last long as BJ got rid of him, was @JulianSmithUK.”
Hain continues “it wasn’t an accident that it was on Smith’s watch Stormont returned...I fear Stormont may well fall into disrepair again if we don’t get a hands on approach, from the PM from the SoS...they should be on the ground, they should be meeting everybody.”
(NB Brandon Lewis did fly in at the end of last week to meet with the political parties).
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