Enda’s forum will be full of ‘remoaners’ – Foster
Posted By: October 29, 2016
Arlene Foster (R) and Martin McGuinness, First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland, speak to journalists as they leave Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster has aimed a stinging broadside at the Government’s all-Ireland Brexit forum, insisting she had better things to do than listen to a lot of “grandstanding remoaners”.
The Democratic Unionist leader has already declined an invite to attend next week’s “civic dialogue” event in Dublin, organized by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to discuss the fall-out from the referendum result.
Explaining her reason for staying away, Mrs. Foster, a Brexiteer, portrayed the gathering as little more than a talking shop for those who refuse to accept the UK is leaving the EU.
“It’s a complete grandstanding exercise,” she said.
“It will be full of people who quite frankly haven’t accepted the referendum result, going down to talk about how dreadful it is and how awful it is.
“Mark my words, that’s exactly what will happen at the grandstanding forum that will come about. I’m not going to be a part of that.
“I am in this to do real business and to have outcomes, not to sit around talking about how dreadful it is.”
Asked if it would be valuable to put the argument for Brexit to forum delegates, she responded: “To be a lone voice amongst a whole lot of remoaners? No, thank you – I have better things to do with my time.”
Other unionist parties in Northern Ireland are also set to stay away from the event.
