Brexit happened, you probably remember that. It was when the UK voted to leave the European Union. The Prime Minister (PM) at the time was David Cameron, the leader of the conservative (Tory) party. He stepped down as he was not pro-Brexit and Theresa May took his place, becoming the UKs second female PM.
As part of Brexit, Britain need to enter into negotiations with the other 27 member states of the European Union to flesh out with a post-EU relationship will look like for Britain.
May wanted a clearer mandate and called a snap general election, hoping to return a strong majority for her Tory party. She was returned as PM, but she did not get that clear majority, and so clear mandate, she hoped the election would provide.
In order to form a government, May needed the support of a smaller party. Enter Northern Ireland.
The North, for those who don't know, is still controlled by the UK (and because they cannot come to agreements with their parliament in Stormont, they could go to being directly ruled by Westminster in London again, which would not be good for the Good Friday Agreement and peace in the region between pro-British factions and pro-Republic of Ireland factions.
Anyway, the DUP, a Unionist or pro-British party, won ten seats in the election in the North. Sinn Féin, the pro-Republic party, won 7 but they abstain from taking them as they don't recognise the authority of Westminster in Irish affairs.
So, to stay PM and form a government that could work, May formed an alliance with the DUP, a party on pretty much no Englishman's radar. So newspaper political cartoons came out, and they have been ridiculously racist.
Here is one example published in the Daily Mail and I want to discuss why it is wrong, not helpful and should be retracted.
Here's the image:
This really offends me. I have grown up in a good period of history and camaraderie between the UK and Ireland, with our two states officially recognising the existence and validity of the other, with Queen Elizabeth IIs state visit to Ireland, followed by Michael D.'s state visit to the UK (that moment the Irish national anthem played out in Windsor Castle will never leave my memory). Everything was so hopeful, and then this.
800 years of dominion and oppression. 800 years of being treated as less than human. The British Government enslaved Irish people, deported them to work in their colonies in the Americas and Australia. They watched us die in the famine as they exported food that could have saved lives. They depicted us as monkeys, apes and drunks. Finally things were beginning to heal. But then this.
This image, and images like it appearing in papers in the UK right now, show the old Irish stereotypes are still strong in the UK, because this image shows zero understanding of Northern Ireland and uses the stereotypical image of the Republic instead.
The DUP are a Protestant, pro-British, largely Evangelical group. This means that:
1. Large numbers of them do not drink alcohol due to their Christian beliefs.
2. They do not consider themselves Irish and therefore would not choose an Irish beverage to be the thing they agree to government to get.
3. They do not lie around drunk when they should be helping govern their country.
It's a sad step in the wrong direction at such a volatile time in Anglo-Irish relations, and when the issue of Northern Ireland is a key one in Brexit negotiations as the border between the Republic and the North will be the only land border into the European Union affected by Brexit.
Britain, we have forgiven a lot in Ireland (we remind you guys of all you did a lot, because your history books teach you that you had a great civilising Empire that admittedly made some mistakes but was generally celebrated), but we look to a future of friendship, not to a past of hate; it's time to grow up and stop dehumanizing the people you probably share the most in common with on earth.
PS: we drink more tea than you!
Well said
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