Former Irish PM, John Bruton warning 'the Troubles' started with rioting, and lack of attention to the sensitivities of Unionists and Nationalists in NI by successive UK govs. #NorthernIrelandRiots

"I served in politics since 1969 when the troubles really started. And this brings me right back to those troubles. And it started with rioting in the late 60s and it gradually escalated into something far, far worse than rioting.

"There is a risk that that we're into the same cycle again. And it is because of the lack of attention in London to the problems of Northern Ireland. There was a lack of attention in London from the 1920s, right up to the 1960s about the discrimination that was occurring in NI.

"Now, there's been a lack of attention, to unionist sensitivities and national sensitivities."
"Remember, the people of Northern Ireland voted against Brexit, but Brexit is being imposed upon them because the people of England are more numerous."

He is also scathing of PM @BorisJohnson, saying he
"denied reality. He denied the meaning of things that he'd agreed to, which I think displays inexcusable lack of attention to detail on the part of the prime minister."

"The work of a prime minister is one that involves absorbing a lot of detail and making sure that you cross your T's and dot your "i's".
UK gov "rushed all the deadlines." @euronews

"They wanted out of the EU as fast as possible. If they took their time and done things a bit slowly, some of these difficulties might have been ironed out without them becoming a conflict. But from the British side, there was this undue haste every stage in the Brexit process."