Video: Martina Anderson blasts 'House of Chaos' and suggests Irish unity as backstop alternative

In a strongly worded address to the European Parliament in Brussels, the Derry-based MEP claimed the British Government was willing to renege on its obligations under the international Good Friday Agreement (GFA) to quell dissent within the British Conservative Party.

“The antics in the British ‘House of Chaos’ prove that their commitments to protect the GFA and the peace process are written in sand,” she told colleagues at the Espace Léopold.

“Theresa May’s objective was to unite the Tory Party and shift the blame for a no-deal Brexit mess to the EU. Only 57 days to go, and they’re shredding the GFA line by line,” she railed.

Mrs. Anderson claimed Britain was attempting to browbeat Ireland into conceding on the so-called Irish ‘backstop’.

This refers to provisions to ensure the North has full access to the British market while continuing to enjoy the application of EU law in several areas in order to facilitate cross-border trade in Ireland and with the EU and thus avoid a hard border.

It was formalised by Mrs. May and the EU in their international withdrawal agreement last November but shot down in Westminster last month. A majority of MPs, ranging from the free market radicals of the Conservative Party, as well as members of the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, DUP, Plaid Cymru and Green Party, rejected the measure, for a variety of reasons. Last week the British House of Commons mandated

Mrs. May to seek “alternative arrangements” to the backstop from Europe.

Reacting to this development Mrs. Anderson suggested Irish unity as one alternative.

“Once again, they’re threatening and trying to intimidate the Irish people, but we will not be bullied by the British establishment,” she said.

“This Parliament has supported the Good Friday Agreement in all of its parts, and that means all the provisions, including the provision for a unity referendum. The people of Ireland have a right to self-determination, and we make no apologies - no apologies to anyone - for working to end the partition of Ireland,” she argued.

The Derry MEP said continuing stalemate at Westminster demonstrated the democratic deficit suffered by a northern electorate of 1,242,698 that sends representatives to an assembly dominated by the interests of Britain’s 45,601,198 voters.

“When Article 50 was triggered, I stated in this Parliament that Britannia was waiving the rules and Britain was ignoring the democratic deficit in the north of Ireland – indeed, creating a democratic deficit by ignoring the democratic wishes of the people of the north of Ireland to remain within the EU. A solution to the Brexit negotiation mess is the reunification of Ireland.”