Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was told to prepare himself for “anachronistic upper-class mannerisms” as well as “controversial traditionalist views” ahead of an online meeting with the UK politician Jacob Rees-Mogg.
In prepared notes, Mr Varadkar – who was then serving as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise – was briefed on the “retrograde steps” the British government had taken over the Northern Ireland protocol.
Ahead of a conference call with Mr Rees-Mogg, the briefing said Mr Varadkar could emphasise how both the Irish President and then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin had attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
The notes said this had led to a “renewed focus on the strength and depth of the bilateral relationship” between the UK and Ireland.
However, the briefing – mostly prepared by the Irish Embassy in London and the Department of Foreign Affairs – said that this “spirit of partnership and mutual respect” had been damaged by recent post-Brexit negotiations with the European Union.
The meeting last October was held not long after Liz Truss began her ill-fated seven-week stint as prime minister of the UK.
The briefing notes said Mr Varadkar should emphasise that the people of Northern Ireland “categorically reject” the confrontational approach the United Kingdom had taken in Brexit discussions with the EU.