Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker has defended his claims that relations with the Republic of Ireland are “not where they should be, and we all need to work extremely hard to improve them”.
Baker (pictured) has also called for the UK to “show humility” in talks with the European Union if a compromise is to be reached on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Baker was defending comments which he made over the weekend at the Conservative Party Conference, while speaking on a panel alongside Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and the Northern Ireland Office’s parliamentary under-secretary of state, Lord Caine.
The panel discussion was focused largely on the issue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the mechanism which avoids a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU single market.
Baker had said at the conference: “The demise of our late Majesty (Queen Elizabeth II) gave us an opportunity to meet leading Irish figures, and I said to some of them that I am sorry that we did not always respect your legitimate interests (during the Brexit process).
“I hope they won't mind me saying I could feel the ice thawing a bit.”
Baker also said that he was “sorry” that relations between the UK and Ireland had been “soured” by Brexit and acknowledged that his own conduct will have “caused anxiety” at times.
These comments were in reference to Baker having previously chaired the Eurosceptic European Research Group [ERG] of Tory MPs.
Speaking to Irish outlet RTÉ on Monday in defence of his statement of apology, Baker said: “Unionists and loyalists have not reacted well to my apology, but I would just say to them, you know, if we're going to be constructive here and get a deal that works for everyone, we've got to de-escalate these tensions.
“If I have to eat a bit of humble pie to get that done, then I'm happy to eat it.”
Prime minister Liz Truss has said in the wake of Baker’s statement that he was not speaking on behalf of the UK government and his comments were only applicable to himself.
The Northern Ireland Protocol has been a major bone of contention, with unionists believing that it undermines Northern Ireland’s place in the UK by introducing checks on goods entering the country from Great Britain.
While she served as foreign secretary, Truss introduced the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill which would give UK ministers the power to override parts of the Protocol, a move which was welcomed by Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party [DUP] but was greeted angrily by Brussels who believe it contravenes international law.
The DUP has refused to enter a power-sharing government with Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein as an act of protest against the Protocol, which has left Northern Ireland without a functioning executive.
Truss has made clear since becoming PM that she prefers a negotiated solution with the EU, but it is expected that the Bill will continue its course through Parliament in the weeks ahead as a failsafe.
