Justice Minister Naomi Long has delivered a stinging attack on several public figures, branding Donald Trump “an appalling human being” and Boris Johnson “one of the most untrustworthy people I think I’ve ever come across in politics”.
The Alliance Party leader didn’t hold back in her commentary during a recent podcast, also describing former Northern Ireland secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris as “pretty grim” and Nigel Farage as as “blowhard” who stood “propping up the bar”.
It was a more tame approach for ex-prime minister, Rishi Sunak, who she described as “really tiny”.
Ms Long was speaking on the Give My Head Podcast with Tim McGarry, Michael McDowell and Damon Quinn where discussing her career, she provided her own frank assessment of several US, UK and Irish politicians.
One of the most brutal criticisms was of Mr Johnson, who she said she wouldn’t leave alone in a room with her handbag.
She also mocked his idea of building a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
“I said, ‘It’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.’
“He probably enjoyed the sparring a little bit, but it was just, it was just weird having somebody who was just so mad in charge.”
Of Mr Johnson’s successors Rishi Sunak, there was criticism too, including about his appearance from Ms Long, who has previously criticised others for commenting on the appearance of politicians.
“He reminded me of, do you know one of those like, over-enthusiastic school prefects,” she said.
Discussing Mr Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, the Stormont minister said she found their height “mesmerising”.
“He and wife, they’re really tiny, they’re like real people...it’s hard to describe,” she said.
“I’m short, but I’m not small. I’ve met lots of short people and they don’t look fully in proportion like a tall person shrunk, short people tend to not look that way.
“Him and his wife look like tall people to scale but just smaller, it’s hard to describe.
“For me, I found it mesmerising.”
In discussing relationships with several secretary of states, she said Brandon Lewis was the “one I probably crossed swords with the most” adding he had a “belief that he knew everything”.
Reform UK leader Mr Farage also drew Ms Long’s criticism while discussing her time in the European Parliament, telling of how “he never turned up, he never went to his committees, but stood at the bar propping up the bar and basically just being a blowhard”.
Turning to US politicians, she said former US President Donald Trump was “an appalling human being” adding he is “vile and he knows that he wears it as a badge of honour”.
Of Joe Biden, she recalled meeting the current US president, where they had “this really open conversation” about the death of his daughter, called Naomi, in a car crash.
The appearance of another politician was also discussed during the podcast, with host McGarry surprised at the age of Taoiseach Simon Harris.
“In fairness to him, he did his best not to look it,” he said, before Ms Long added: “He doesn’t look 37″.
Her comments about appearance come after Ms Long previously spoke publicly about unwarranted comments about her own look.
She said at the time she did not “think it appropriate or necessary to make personal comments on my appearance”.
