Ireland’s EU-loving, anti-British PM tells BBC : UK is “now a small country”

If the UK is “small”, just how tiny does that make little Ireland?

Credit BBC

And does the Irish PM REALLY want UK consumers to stop buying Irish products?

In an interview yesterday with the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, the Irish PM Leo Varadkar told her that the UK hasn’t “yet come to terms with the fact it's now a small country.”

On Friday at 11pm GMT, the United Kingdom will no longer be a member of the European Union. The Republic of Ireland will.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org brings readers (and the Irish Taoiseach) some basic facts, comparing the United Kingdom and Ireland. In his interview Mr Varadkar raised the subject of population and trade. He talked about peace but failed to mention Ireland’s lamentable record in spending on defence, so we have added that.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Quick UK - Ireland comparison

The UK’s population of 66.3 million is 14 TIMES that of Ireland’s 4.8 million
The UK’s economy (GDP: $2.825 billion) is over 7 TIMES the size of Ireland’s ($0.382 billion)

Varadkar did NOT mention Ireland’s reliance on the UK to support its farming sector

Beef – 51.4% of Irish beef exports are sold to the UK
Pork – 43.5% of Irish pork exports are sold to the UK
Cheese – 50.2% of Irish cheese exports are sold to the UK

Neither did Mr Varadkar mention defence, for which the EU needs the UK

Ireland effectively relies on the UK for its defence, as it is not a member of NATO
Ireland spends the smallest proportion of GDP on defence of any EU country
It spent just 0.3% of GDP on defence in 2018 – €0.94 billion
The UK spent 2.1% of GDP on defence - €50.5 billion – that’s 53 times more

Observations

The Irish elections take place on 08 February and Mr Varadkar has never actually won an election as Taoiseach (Prime Minister).

Much of what he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg yesterday was for domestic consumption in the Republic of Ireland. However we must say that for the past three years this clearly anti-British politician has been extremely unhelpful to his country’s nearest neighbour during the Brexit negotiations.

To say that the UK hasn’t “yet come to terms with the fact it's now a small country” is not only a factual absurdity, it is also deeply unhelpful to many Irish businesses which rely on British consumers for their very existence.

Mr Varadkar may have little interest in his country’s strong farming sector, but this would certainly come back to bite him if British consumers decided to boycott Irish agricultural products.

Three and a half years of Irish government Brexit hostility to the UK is quite enough in our view. The British people may be patient, but there are limits.

Please help us to keep going with a donation. Quick and secure options are below. Thank you.

[ Sources: Irtish Central Statistics Office | BBC | World Bank | Eurostat (official EU statistics) ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 28 Jan 2020

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Reader Comments 19

1. Henry , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 08:15:

The size of UK's economy vs Ireland is irrelevant, GDP per capita on the other hand is. So how does GDP per capita compare between the UK and Ireland?

2. Andy , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 09:24:

I no longer buy anything from the Irish Republic, but I haven’t done so for years because of the way the republic treated the ‘Anglo-Irish’. Nor do I buy EU goods if there is an alternative and I hope everyone adopts a similar policy. EU trade with the UK will drop dramatically next year when we no longer have to suffer their common external tariff.

3. Sydney Ashurst , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 09:31:

The Telegraph ran an article: UK must come to terms with being a 'small country' after Brexit, says Leo Varadkar.
Of the over 4,000 comments non were very respectful of Varadkar.
He should be worrying about his future as Taoiseach, the polls are not looking good. Knocking the UK is not in the best interests of Eire as you show.

4. Catherine, Dollar , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 09:39:

Thanks Facts4EU - Varadkar meant to irritate yesterday, and he sure did. But while I was irritated, I knew he was making a bad move.
@Henry and general comment re Ireland's GDP: Ireland is "a phantom economy achieved by rerouting the sales of multinationals across the whole EU into Ireland and crediting it as Irish GDP" - Brian Monteith, but summarising from a study by Global Britain.
Another quote from Brian Monteith's article:
"the claim of Ireland’s GDP at 294 billion Euros is hugely inflated by the Irish “flag of convenience” that multinationals use. Were it to end the Irish people would face another bout of severe austerity required to adjust to the genuine size of the economy – a staggering 130 billion Euros per year smaller."
And this flag of convenience is likely to be severely shrunk by the EU itself.
Here's the article
https://www.scotsman.com/ne...

5. Concerned , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 10:04:

Well said Andy (2), we are with you on our boycott. As for that odd man, he will be hopefully booted out of office soon, Eire deserves much better at the helm.

6. Not4EU●, London , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 10:41:

On the subject of defence, has Bodger Boris put together a bill for the EU for our continuing defence of the western Atlantic and Eire, which is no longer an independent country?
Have they repaid their loan, so that they didn't have to have EU imposed 'austerity', yet? The forthcoming harmonisation of tax, for Eurozone countries, will come as a shock to many there. Of course they are panicking as, unless Bodger Boris cedes our fishing territory (again), the EU supertrawlers will turn their attention to the Irish section of 'EU waters'.
Not the same party but it's quite amazing that SF has always been anti-EU UNTIL the point of the UK referendum to leave.
Sadly, the present teasock (sic) Leo will be replaced with another EU sock puppet. Meanwhile, outside of the EU bubble, in common with growing numbers of EU member countries, the rest of the country is beginning to realise what the EU actually is. As now net contributors, albeit just, they will soon find their 'contributions' skyrocketing.
It's sad that these Napoleonalikes continue to think that the UK is so weak as to be bullied & pushed around by EU pipsqueaks, which they think is diplomacy as threats & fear are their only weapons. Is Boris & our Govt strong enough to stand up to it & for our country or will Boris bodge it again to favour & appease the EUlings here like signing the WA?

7. John , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 15:07:

"UK is “now a small country” Somebody needs to point out to him, the UK is a union of countries, UK is not a country, this is what he thinks the EU is, a country. Not very bright is he.

8. Catherine, Dollar , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 15:29:

@Not4EU love 'EUlings' ...

9. Mal , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 19:53:

One really sad and disturbing aspect of this is how readily Varadker considers the EU to be a country. He doesn’t even think about it.

10. L Jones , Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 19:53:

Boycott their products? I should say so! Not only do I avoid Irish foodstuffs, but I've stopped buying anything Irish made... That even includes my contact lenses! I want to have nothing to do with a nation who will elect such an unfriendly and antipathetic government. Perhaps one day in the future, I'll feel differently. It may be too late for them then.

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