That assumes a level of logical reasoning which hasn’t been evident in my lifetime.
That assumes a level of logical reasoning which hasn’t been evident in my lifetime.The biggest growth opportunities for NI businesses are to IE and rest of EU. And where capital flows, politicial, economic and demographic trends tend to follow.
There are few significant businesses in NI, its a welfare state and then a great provider of good building services and trades to the SouthThe biggest growth opportunities for NI businesses are to IE and rest of EU
There are people up there, on both sides, who, given the choice, would object to formal education and the refrigeration of food.A more informal UI - agreed practices of customs and trade, diminishing sectarianism, mutual cultural acknowledgements and recognition. I'd take that any day, and think that is more 'touching distance' than what MLMcD may have in mind.
Playing to her base and her bosses in West Belfast was the only thing she had in mind.that is more 'touching distance' than what MLMcD may have in mind.
Mary-Lou is back on the Border Poll trail again, on Good Morning Britain.
If the poll was defeated, then what ? "Be careful what you wish for"
That's a very generous interpretation of her comment. In fairness to her she's in a difficult position as she's probably not getting clear instructions from the Party leadership in Belfast.It's the follow-on impact.
That's always been the position of the UK government. It was the IRA that rejected the primacy of democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland.The precedent will have be set as per GFA, that the people of NI shall decide NI's future, not God.
The DUP are dying. They have a similar age profile to the Orange Order and the Priesthood.Unfortunately, the DUP who never signed up to GFA believe the Union with Britain is derived through His Majesty and as long as the monarch reigns, then so shall NI, regardless of what the people think.
The DUP are dying. They have a similar age profile to the Orange Order and the Priesthood.
It's amazing that despite the best efforts of RTE the two centre left parties in power still enjoy the support of around 40% of the population.I wonder if the same could be said about FF, FG and the Labour Party?
I think they'd need to actually become a democratic party, get rid of the Army Council who actually run the party from west Belfast, stop glorifying child killers, decide if they want to keep pandering to their racist base, decide if they want to be a party with economic policies for working people or for rich old people (which is what they are now) and start to he more than a party of opposition and policy wise start to deal with the realities of what is required to run a small country with a very open economy.Seems to me that if SF could shake off some of its historical baggage and add some intelligence to its Front Bench spokespersons both North and South of the Border it could sweep the country. (Although I think that it might also need to replace the consistently unimpressive Mary Lou too.)
She'll be there until the Army Council decide otherwise.I can't argue about Mary Lou being like an anchor around the SF neck, but I don't see any brave, new shining lights, coming through the ranks. Any suggestions?
all I know is most of the supporters who come to my door looking for votes for FF FG Labour when I get talking to them's amazing that despite the best efforts of RTE the two centre left parties in power still enjoy the support of around 40% of the population.
I can't argue about Mary Lou being like an anchor around the SF neck, but I don't see any brave, new shining lights, coming through the ranks. Any suggestions?
It's amazing that despite the best efforts of RTE the two centre left parties in power still enjoy the support of around 40% of the population.
That's always been the position of the UK government. It was the IRA that rejected the primacy of democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland.
It is though. It's always been the position of the UK government that the status of Northern Ireland would be determined by the people of Northern Ireland.That's not quite true though, is it?
That's not the point she was making. I thought that was self evident.Thatcher made a point of NI as being as much part of the UK as her own constituency in Finchley (?). In effect, it was no more the right of people of NI to determine its future in UK as it was for people of Finchley
No, they reject any input in the government or governance of Northern Ireland by the Government of Ireland. I don't think that they would accept the will of the majority of Northern Ireland either if it doesn't suit their ends but that hasn't happened yet. The DUP are no better than Sinn Fein or their bosses in West Belfast when it comes to respecting democracy.The DUP, who have never signed up to GFA, still reject the primacy of the democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland insofar as the constitutional issue is concerned.
It did but when we joined the UN in 1955 we accepted the border and that Northern Ireland was part of the UK.And pre-1998, and changes to Article2 & 3 it was the inscribed right of the Irish State under the constitution to exercise jurisdiction over the whole territory of the island of Ireland, its islands and territorial seas.
See above; the UK Government always accepted that the people of Northern Ireland get to decide their own destiny.People of NI have never had primacy, until 1998. And even now that is still disputed insofar as the DUP are concerned.
I don't think that they would accept the will of the majority of Northern Ireland either if it doesn't suit their ends but that hasn't happened yet.
It did but when we joined the UN in 1955 we accepted the border and that Northern Ireland was part of the UK.
We did the same thing in 1973 when we joined the EEC.
Articles 2 & 3 were never more than aspirational.
We're in agreement. The difference between the DUP and the Shinners is that the DUP are dying as a party and the Shinners want to run this country while re-writing their own history, lionising child killers and attacking free speech by suing every journalist that attempts to hold them to account.That is the point. It wasnt just SF/IRA that didnt accept the will of the majority of NI, the DUP never have and still don't.
It was accepted that NI was part of the UK but it was not accepted by the Irish State that people of NI would determine their own constitutional future. That future lay in the entire people of the nation of Ireland as per Articles 2&3. Its why Unionists made it a stumbling block for talking to the Irish government for many, many years.
Something similar was said when David Cameron announced the EU referendum poll and it turned out very different. I would fully expect a UI poll to indeed fail in NI but you can't ignore the fact that in the 2022 Stormant elections, almost 20% of voters did not vote for a Unionst or Nationalist party and the likelihood is that % will grow. How that 20% would vote in any referendum is key. If just half of that number voted for UI, suddenly the percentages in favour are up to the mid 40's and it starts to get very closeWhy would SF want a poll that those in favour of a UI would most certainly lose? And why would Unionists resist a poll that they would most certainly win in favour or remaining in UK?