Revealed: What the British really think of us

AN internal document circulated to British officials ahead of the EU presidency gives a startling insight into what they think of the Irish.

The document, which has been seen by the Irish Examiner, characterises the Irish as a people who, bizarrely, won't find jokes about potatoes funny; have a strong government but no credible opposition and look to Britain to make the running on major issues where there is common ground.

Running to more than 20 pages, its bullet-point presentation mixes some very astute and uncomfortable analysis of the Irish State; some observations that could have come straight from The Irish RM and some that are just wrong.