‘Lenny Verruca’: As Brexit crunch looms, British press ramps up attacks on Irish PM

As crunch time for Brexit looms large, the Tory-friendly British press has ramped up attacks on Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, whom they have painted as a “naive fool,” a “wilful child” and a “tormentor.” Blimey!

After much speculation and hand-wringing, newly-minted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally spoke with his Irish counterpart by phone Tuesday amid concerns over rising bilateral acrimony and anti-Irish sentiment in London ahead of the October 31 Brexit deadline. 

Euroskeptic press in the UK, including the Daily Telegraph, the Sun, and the Daily Mail have all been vocal in their support for Johnson, dating back to before Theresa May's resignation as prime minister. 

Amid shifts in the faces of the European power structure, the Conservative and Brexit-sympathetic press has switched its focus to attacking and vilifying supporters of the Withdrawal Agreement’s ‘backstop’ arrangement, namely Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar. 

Chief among Varadkar’s critics is Johnson’s former employer the Telegraph, which wastes no opportunity in pointing the finger westward towards Dublin. 

“Bought by Brussels, little Ireland’s ridiculous leaders have landed it in a Brexit crisis,” reads an opinion article published on Wednesday which describes the Irish premier, and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, as “uncertain fools” acting like “wilful children”

Another article saw Ruth Dudley Edwards pen a piece titled: “The naive Leo Varadkar is being manipulated by the wily Michel Barnier,” while a third offering offering saw Telegraph commentator and former chief of staff to ex-prime minister Theresa May, Nick Timothy, describe Varadkar as a “real threat to peace.”

Commentator Tom Harris previously described Varadkar as “ill-informed and arrogant.” The contemptuous tone of his piece sought to underplay Ireland’s significance in European politics while simultaneously affording the country a critical role to play in the final chapter of the protracted Brexit saga.

The unrelenting flurry of anti-Varadkar “analysis” also saw author Bruce Arnold decry the attempt to undermine relations with “an ancient and friendly neighbor” forgetting, of course, the 800 years of occupation and subjugation of the island of Ireland by successive British rulers. 

Sunday Telegraph columnist, Simon Heffer echoed Arnold’s sentiments, also lamenting the weakening of “ancient ties” between the two countries, while also alleging that both Varadkar and Coveney are being “weaponized by Brussels” to force a no-deal Brexit. 

The trend hasn't gone unnoticed amongst Ireland's twittering class who draw attention to every fresh article that attacks their government.

Meanwhile, a Sun editorial levelled accusations that Varadkar might be the harbinger of “potential chaos of a no-deal Brexit”.

The breathless cheerleading piece derides “Ireland’s rookie PM” who has been in office for over two years, while Boris Johnson has barely completed his first week in Number 10. 

The paper also published an editorial claiming there was “panic” in Dublin following Johnson’s long-telegraphed selection as leader of the British Conservative Party and thus ascension to prime minister.  

Over in the Daily Mail, columnist Richard Littlejohn taunted“pipsqueak Irish Prime Minister Lenny Verruca” in an openly-hostile piece of inflammatory clickbait.

The Varadkar-bashing is nothing new but has been ramped up significantly as the (current) Brexit deadline looms. With 91 days to go until Britain is scheduled to leave the EU the heat on the Irish leader looks set to intensify.

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