Irish Examiner view: Poots’ tirade a boon for all moderates

Those disturbed by Edwin Poot’s primal sabre-rattling may take comfort in the fact DUP support has fallen to 16%, nine points behind Sinn Féin.

The comfort that Ireland’s diplomats punch well above their weight is to be tested. Speaking after he was ratified as Democratic Unionist Party leader, Edwin Poots declared that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney “were going to starve Northern Ireland people of medicines, no less, cancer drugs and other materials such as the food that’s on our table”. 

Warming to his divisive theme, he warned that relationships with Ireland are “really, really bad”. 

Relationships have been strained, primarily by the inevitable but unconsidered consequences of Brexit, a policy the DUP pursued. Those disturbed by Mr Poot’s primal sabre-rattling may take comfort in the fact DUP support has fallen to 16%, nine points behind Sinn Féin.

Tempting as it might be to respond in kind that would be wrong and pointless. As the last century has shown, there is a minority in both communities unwilling, as the DUP’s founder might have harrumphed, to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 

Mr Poots may bluster and, strangely for such a committed, certain Christian, offer unfounded, dishonest analysis to bolster his cause but, as the growing cohort disinterested in inherited rivalries and not just in NI, shows the old poisons are losing their sting. 

The challenge for the majority, and for our diplomats, is to consolidate relationships with moderates of all hues or none so extremists of all tribes are finally made redundant.