"Ireland is owed help by Britain on account of 800 years of imperialism and to suggest otherwise is racist."
Didn't say that Scouser - my reference to racism was aimed in the direction of those who object to "giving money to foreigners when it is better spent at home" - otherwise, I have no objection to either yours or Steamin' Willie's excellent summings up.
I do think that in many cases colonialism created built in weaknesses in many of the former colonies and that to some degree Britain recognised this and took some steps to keep those newly independent countries on her side; but that's probably an argument for elsewhere.
Jim Carroll