SCOTTISH Tory hypocrisy really knows no bounds – and today, a fine example has been served up by MP Ross Thomson.
Ross was responding to news of Boris Johnson receiving the EU's support for a Brexit deal, which will now go before the House of Commons later this week.
This would be the same Ross who, you might remember, seems in life only to want the approval of Boris. See here.
And so, what did he think of the Brexit proposals? He was most pleased, tweeting: "I vividly recall the nay sayers shouting loudly that a new deal would be impossible.
"Well against all of the odds @BorisJohnson has secured it!
"Northern Ireland in the UK customs territory and the anti-democratic backstop abolished. Let’s #GetBrexitSorted on Saturday
"As a Unionist I’m pleased that the new deal @BorisJohnson has secured ensures that NI will be in the UK customs territory forever.
"The anti-democratic backstop has been abolished. Meaning that the people of NI will be in charge of the laws that they live by. #GetBrexitSorted"
We'll set aside the rather ominous (and in his case optimistic) declaration "that NI will be in the UK customs territory forever" for now.
🇬🇧 As a Unionist I’m pleased that the new deal @BorisJohnson has secured ensures that NI will be in the UK customs territory forever.
— Ross Thomson MP (@RossThomson_MP) October 17, 2019
The anti-democratic backstop has been abolished. Meaning that the people of NI will be in charge of the laws that they live by. #GetBrexitSorted
But unfortunately for Ross, the internet has a long memory. Specifically, it remembered a tweet of his from December 10, 2018.
In response to Jackson Carlaw's support for Theresa May's deal, which would have meant an Irish sea border, he tweeted: "Rubbish. The PM’s deal is a risk for the Union. It treats NI like a third country, leaves NI in the single market, leaves it under a foreign court and creates new customs checks on goods moving between GB and NI - A border down the Irish Sea. The @ScotTories used to oppose that."
Rubbish. The PM’s deal is a risk for the Union. It treats NI like a third country, leaves NI in the single market, leaves it under a foreign court and creates new customs checks on goods moving between GB and NI - A border down the Irish Sea. The @ScotTories used to oppose that. https://t.co/BTQlAv515h
— Ross Thomson MP (@RossThomson_MP) December 10, 2018
Just to confirm, this tweet was from 2018 – this is not Ross describing the current Brexit deal, as it just as easily could be.
And it's not just the fact that there will be an Irish sea border and checks on goods in Boris's deal.
Ross also complained about May's deal leaving Northern Ireland "under a foreign court".
Well, we'll let Joanna Cherry explain that one:
Jacob Rees-Mogg @LeaderMHoC seemed rather rattled when I pointed out that under the revised NI protocol, in a number of respects, the whole of the UK will still be subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice #CJEU #BrexitDeal #brexitshambles pic.twitter.com/iszXfEfeZA
— Joanna Cherry QC MP (@joannaccherry) October 17, 2019
Somehow, and for some undeclared reason, what was a damning issue beforehand is now worthy of the most lavish praise.
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