A LEADING Brexiteer found himself inundated with replies on Twitter after asking for 'examples of Britain treating Ireland in an appalling way'.
Author and economist Andrew Lilico, who has links to the Jacob Rees-Mogg-led pro-Brexit European Research Group, landed himself in a spot of bother on social media after attributing the looming possibility of a No Deal Brexit to the “failures” of Ireland and the EU.
“If & when the UK does leave the EU with No Deal, that will constitute a major economic & geopolitical failure on the part of EU & Irish leaders,” Lilico tweeted.
“There's no doubt the UK wanted an FTA & to be friendly. It will eventually be seen as short-sighted madness that we were turned away.”
“The UK has treated Ireland appallingly throughout this process,” an Irish Twitter user replied. “The failure is entirely yours - own it.”
“In what way?” Lilico asked.
Another Irishman answered: “The British border, GFA commitments, International responsibility.. never part of the narrative in 2016. Even now, we have "alternative arrangements".. we have 2 words and nothing else. N.I. will be crippled, ROI less. Brexit is more important than the english empire or life.”
The British border, GFA commitments, International responsibility.. never part of the narrative in 2016. Even now, we have "alternative arrangements".. we have 2 words and nothing else. N.I. will be crippled, ROI less. Brexit is more important than the english empire or life.
— Irishmonk (@castlvillageman) August 6, 2019
It was then that Lilico made his fateful mistake, responding: “And any examples of Britain treating Ireland in an "appalling" way?”
The people of Twitter happily obliged with a deluge of jokes, history lessons and memes covering the many, many examples of Britain treating Ireland in “an appalling way”.
We’ve centuries worth. Where would you like to begin?
— Karl 🌹 (@Craicthewhip_) August 6, 2019
HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA pic.twitter.com/5AijT0D6s3
— mimi ☭ (@ameliamcd_) August 6, 2019
Well, some tories just suggested to fucking starve them. Also, you weren't much of a listener in history class, were ya? https://t.co/XoC5aaGUEM
— Lucas Bourdon (@lucas_bourdon) August 6, 2019
The potato famine?
— Adair 🇬🇧 (@rpxadair) August 6, 2019
— Iarnród Éireann Brockovich 🏳️⚧️ (@yascaoimhin) August 6, 2019
Would you like to reconsider this tweet Andrew? After you have spent 5 minutes googling British/Irish history I'm sure you will want to....
— Chris Smith (@ledredman) August 6, 2019
Andrew is there a genuine issue with your computer that means you can't access google?
— Ross McCafferty (@RossMcCaff) August 6, 2019
The Irish Nation 🇮🇪 getting ready to respond: pic.twitter.com/tqDwvAjRk6
— Sean O' Shea (@SeaniieOShea) August 6, 2019
Cromwell’s summer holiday in Ireland in 1648. Slaughtered or caused to die 30% of the then living population of the country
— ken murray (@cionnai) August 6, 2019
This guy pic.twitter.com/bNR433JQp5
— Ireland Simpsons Fans (@iresimpsonsfans) August 7, 2019
— Irish Potato Famine
— Drogheda genocide
— internment
— Bloody Sunday
— Easter Rising executions
— Battle of the Boyne
— persecution of Irish Catholics in the UK
and that’s just the start— noah add me @realnoahsimpson (@noahisinactive) August 7, 2019
Even then Lilico was unfazed, tweeting: "And these examples occurred "throughout this process" since 2016, did they? And were somehow connected to it?"
Again, however, the Irish were only too happy to oblige with a few choice quotes from the Conservative Government past and present.
"Ireland is a smaller, less important country" - May
"The Irish will shoot each other if there's a hard border or not" - Johnson
"We should leverage potential food shortages in Ireland to get a better deal" - Patel
They're just a few examples off the top of my head— Conchubhar Ó Raghallaigh (@ConorJonOReilly) August 6, 2019
"The Irish really should know their place." Unnamed Conservative MP, 2018: https://t.co/dR4Bwywpso
— Stephen Higgins (@viaTheFalcon) August 6, 2019
Could also throw in Karen Bradley's comment about the murders committed by British Soldiers during the troubles as "not a crime" for good measure, UK ignorance at its best . . they really dont have a clue
— Ciarán Crook ™ (@Senor_Beaver) August 7, 2019
Reed-Mogg suggesting we deal with the border “as in the Troubles”.
— Jeremy Thomas (@jeremythomas212) August 6, 2019
- Bojo as FS not even realising the Border would be an issue like a year into Brexit.
— James Doherty (@Internet_User85) August 6, 2019
Yeah but other than that, right Andrew?
See More: Brexit, Irish, Irish Border
