In his recent book, Unleashed, Boris Johnson, the ex-UK Prime Minister, shared an anecdote about a private conversation with current US President, Joe Biden. In the discussion, Mr. Biden, known for his pride in his Irish origins, allegedly confessed to Johnson that his family line was not genuinely Irish, but English.
In the book, Johnson shares the first time he encountered Biden as an acting US President. This meeting happened during the G7 summit held in Cornwall in June 2021, one of the first overseas ventures for Biden after his victory in the previous year’s November elections against Donald Trump.
Johnson recounts the British concerns during that period, that Biden, who touted his Irish descent, might be more detached and doubtful of Brexit. Nevertheless, Johnson admitted that his worries dissipated the moment he met Biden at Carbis Bay hotel, the summit’s venue.
Johnson also hinted that Biden disregarded pressures from the European Union and possibly his own officials, and deliberately chose not to intervene on the Northern Ireland/Brexit border dispute. The US president eased his fears about the same issue by stating, “I would not dream of telling a friend and ally how to run his own country.”
Biden further surprised Johnson by revealing that his roots were English, not Irish. He claimed the Biden family had a seafaring history in Kent, which seemed plausible given that “-den” is a common ending for Kentish surnames. Johnson slyly added that Biden might voice a different narrative when he’s visiting Dublin.
Johnson also expressed in his book, Unleashed, that he thinks the EU exploited concerns around the Irish border and the “threat of resurgence from the IRA” to try and keep the UK within the single market and customs union.
Mr. Johnson, as Foreign Secretary under Theresa May’s administration, expressed his doubts about the speculated dangers Brexit could pose to peace in Northern Ireland. He dismissed these warnings as “chimerical” or merely imaginary. He also questioned the idea of setting up custom posts at the Border and the possibility of such posts becoming targets of Irish republican violence, including attacks on the Garda.
The Irish government, guided by then Taoiseach Enda Kenny in 2016, had wisely identified potential issues arising from Brexit regarding customs and Northern Ireland, and had prepared practical solutions. However, Mr. Johnson believes these concerns were exacerbated and used as a political tool by anti-Brexit factions in London and Brussels, with the aim of preventing Brexit. He also criticised Theresa May’s idea of a “backstop” for Northern Ireland – a plan to align the UK with certain EU rules until border matters were resolved – arguing that it would reduce Britain to the EU’s “subservient pawn”.
In his book, Mr. Johnson suggests that previous Taoiseach Leo Varadkar supported a temporary arrangement to handle Brexit complications in Northern Ireland. This suggestion served as the foundation for an agreement made between the two leaders in 2019 in Wirral, near Liverpool, subsequently leading to Britain’s official departure from the EU the next year.
The erstwhile Conservative Party leader maintains that it was a common understanding that the deal to align Northern Ireland with certain EU rules would be temporary, requiring continued consent from the people of Northern Ireland. He writes, ” The EU were not in favour of this plan. They did not like the temporary nature of the agreement, nor the concept of obtaining consent. However, the Irish were on board. This was the crux of our agreement with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Thornton Manor near Liverpool.”
In 2022, Mr. Johnson reveals, he approached then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, with a proposal to significantly lower UK corporation tax to below Irish levels, at 10%. “That would show them,” he contends. Mr. Sunak, however, declined this proposition.
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