Johnnyp Posted February 28, 2023 Author Share Posted February 28, 2023 1 hour ago, villa89 said: What you have to watch out for is the rise of Sinn Fein/IRA in the Republic. Fianna Fáil are on the verge of collapse (centre) and the Irish Labour Party is basically dead. This leave a huge gap for an opposition party to create a standard right/left political system. That left gap will be filled by Sinn Fein/IRA and the result of that could be them in government (plus few of a lunatic lefties to prop them up) down south. Once that happens everything done in the republic will be geared towards a border poll. Right up to bizarre policies which could bankrupt the country. I don't think people in the Republic realise the machine Sinn Fien/IRA have supporting them, the rest of the parties can't compete with it as they don't have access to the same funding, most of which can be hidden in NI. Agreed. A small example. During the election campaign last year, Sinn Fein took out whole page adverts in the Washington Post and New York Times. A column in the corner of one page of either of those publications would cost a lot. A whole page ! Talking some serious coin. Funded no doubt by very wealthy Irish - Americans. And that wealth vehicle they have has no handbrake really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 1 hour ago, sidcow said: I don't like the noises coming out of the DUP. They seem like a worse bunch of Throbbers than the modern Tory party. They are, by a distance, and that's saying something given the current state of the conservatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982 Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 2 hours ago, sidcow said: I don't like the noises coming out of the DUP They seem like a worse bunch of Throbbers than the modern Tory party. They’ll do anything not to form a government with a Sinn Fein member as the 1st minister. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icouldtelltheworld Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Family from Derry so I have a few opinions on this topic to say the least. IMO a United Ireland is almost inevitable in my lifetime, and when it comes the unionists will only have themselves to blame - you have to wonder how long the UK government will commit billions to propping up a dysfunctional system that increasingly represents a manifestation of a minority view even in NI. I think if the DUP keep on refusing to return to power sharing under a Sinn Fein first minister then the UK government will soon start to battle game for a united Ireland. I thought the warm welcome extended to Michelle O'Neill by Charles when the queen died, compared with the frosty reception offered to Jeffrey Donaldson really spoke volumes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icouldtelltheworld Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 3 hours ago, sidcow said: I don't like the noises coming out of the DUP They seem like a worse bunch of Throbbers than the modern Tory party. They make even the most radical elements of the modern Tory party look like a student socialist society. They have more in common with bible belt fundamentalists than they do with anything/anyone in GB politics 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icouldtelltheworld Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 10 hours ago, villa89 said: The point about re-unification that people always miss is who exactly is going to pay for it. NI is a basket case economy propped up by billions of her majesty's pounds every year. The Republic can't afford to subsidise 6 counties like that. While this is true, ultimately NI is a basket case economy by virtue of being an artificial state specifically designed to maintain a fragile status quo that barely made sense in 1922, let alone 2022. There's no reason that the six counties can't be fully integrated into a whole-Ireland economy over time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icouldtelltheworld Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 8 hours ago, Enda said: Sinn Féin are the largest party in the North. That’s the clearest indicator of NI’s preference for reunification. There are other more subtle indicators too, like the most recent census recording more Catholics than Protestants, and the surge of Nordies claiming their Irish passports post-Brexit. There is momentum towards a majority, but not there yet I don’t think. The south absolutely can afford the North. That’s exaggerated imho. The Republic is one of the richest countries in the world, no bother to us. The irony for me is that the northern PUL community would likely become a sizeable voting bloc in the Dáil and could well end up king-makers in future elections, with the power to stop SF taking office in a way that is clearly impossible to them under the current compromise of the GFA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 An interesting conflict to take a look at is the Tamils v Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. Tamils are regarded as “non native” etc. Tamil majority in the north of the island. Think these arguments about historic ownership of lands and “cousins” and whatnot get pretty indistinguishable from old fashioned racism in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 28, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted February 28, 2023 Rishi's been enthusing about what a fantastic situation NI is now in, as they can now have full trading access to both the internal UK market and the EU. In other words, what we all had before Brexit. They really are beyond parody. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 Probably the biggest issue with reuniting the island is the idiots in the FAI and IFA and all the politicos who will use them.... sigh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterSw Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 So the DUP are to vote against it. This is such surprising news.... Didn't the UK government try to introduce a bill that would see Stormont work with or without certain political parties? Surely this needs to be the case now given that is it quite clear to everyone that the DUP are simply refusing anything on offer because they have no interest in returning to work and more importantly, have no interest in having a Catholic in a position of power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 It will get voted through the UK parliament with Labour supporting it. The DUP are an absolute embarrassment with the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland just wanting to get on with it, regardless if they are unionist or nationalist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted March 20, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted March 20, 2023 10 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: It will get voted through the UK parliament with Labour supporting it. The DUP are an absolute embarrassment with the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland just wanting to get on with it, regardless if they are unionist or nationalist. I thought it wasn't going to be proposed unless the DUP backed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 The DUP were promised the purest form of Brexit, a million positives and no negatives. Anyone requiring any piece of admin for anything you want to do, throw it in the bin. Anyone trying to move here, sell here, pass through here, check standards here, tell them to do one. There will be more money for our stuff, we can stop them selling their stuff. We can have freedom of movement. They can’t come here. Baby Jesus to wear an orange sash. Pie every day. No calories. That’s what they were sold, that’s what they’re holding out for. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 20, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 20, 2023 1 hour ago, chrisp65 said: The DUP were promised the purest form of Brexit, a million positives and no negatives They were told exactly the same as the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 (edited) I see the title and I think of a Berkshire window company Edited March 20, 2023 by Xela 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 1 hour ago, blandy said: They were told exactly the same as the rest of us. Yes they were. But by the same token, when the rest of us received an email from a Nigerian Prince promising wealth beyond our wildest dreams the rest of us ignored it. That’s the problem with scammers, they rely on reeling in the confused and the vulnerable and people with learning difficulties. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Xela said: I see the title and I think of a Berkshire window company glad it's not just me then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 22, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 22, 2023 There are levels of irony that have hitherto been undiscovered in this quote Quote “He’s got a choice,” Baker told Sky News when asked about Johnson’s decision. “He can be remembered for great acts of statecraft that he achieved or he can risk looking like a pound-shop Nigel Farage. And I hope he chooses to be remembered as a statesman.” Guardian Steve Baker, current government minister and self styled "Hardman of Brexit" talking about Johnson potentially voting against the Windsor Framework Steve sodding Baker... Poundshop Farage I'm all for giving Johnson a kicking at any opportunity but has Baker forgotten who he actually is? (Yes I realise its because he's a minister now but all the same) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted March 22, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted March 22, 2023 God has told Steve Baker he's special, therefore there's not many he can't look down on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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