He's serious you know
I am indebted to The Belfast Telegraph which has interviewed Guto Harri, yet another old BBC hand who worked for the Tory party and in his case Boris Johnson. Guto believes that Boris Johnson is deadly serious about a bridge or tunnel from Scotland to Northern Ireland.
Apparently the PM thinks this link would show that the UK is an important country that can undertake massive new projects. By the same logic the Humber Road Bridge was a triumph for the Foreign Office and sound investment in the maintenance of the UK’s seat on the UN Security Council.
The PM also wants to maintain the union and the £33 billion bridge would help cement that union. Why having put a border down the Irish Sea the PM might feel the need to spend so much money on a physical link is perfectly understandable.
He betrayed NI and is feeling guilty. But let’s be honest the PM’s angst is no reason to build the world’s largest White Elephant. Perhaps he should try to improve the NIP, it would be a lot cheaper and a far better way of undoing the damage to the country he has done.
But then that would mean admitting to a mistake and a new NIP won’t be named after the PM. It seems the PM’s ego might not be able to stand that.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.