Editorial: There are worse British-Irish double standards than the ones Leo Varadkar cites

Leo Varadkar has claimed that double standards are applied to UK and Irish ministers expressing a view on the constitutional question.

The Taoiseach had recently said that he expected to see an all Ireland state within his lifetime. The Fine Gael leader is 44 years of age.

The Northern Ireland Secretary implied that the observation was "unhelpful" when he criticised certain commentary from Dublin, without specifying Mr Varadkar's remarks.

Mr Varadkar's comments were indeed unhelpful to the delicate political situation here, yet he might have a point. Painful though it is for unionists to hear such aspirations, it is true that, as Mr Varadkar says, successive prime ministers have spoken of their unionism. However, there are two parallel, but much greater, examples of double standards. The first is what would happen in the event of a border poll. There is little doubt that the incumbent Taoiseach, whoever that might be, would advocate an all Ireland. Yet it is unclear if the UK prime minister of the day would campaign for the Union. Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said he would, his past NI spokesperson, Louise Haigh, said that such a stance is not allowed under the Belfast Agreement.

This is what Irish republicans say. Indeed at times Irish ministers have seemed to endorse that interpretation of alleged neutrality commitments under the Belfast Agreement.

What a farce and illustration of British weakness it would be if an Irish government could campaign to lay claim to Northern Ireland, and the state that has sovereignty could not defend it.

Also, the Irish government is biased regarding internal matters in NI, the UK is not. Both Mr Varadkar and Simon Coveney told us we must have an Irish language act.

They scold us on legacy and other issues and openly side with nationalist grievances. Yet polite but feeble British ministers stay mute.