Introduction One interesting aspect of the unfolding of Brexit has been the emergence of strong voices with a depth of analysis and understanding of the process. There are too many to mention, but these include Prof Chris Grey (Brexit Blog), David Alan Green (FT and Jack of Kent), Prof Richard Murphy (TRUK), Ian Dunt… Read more
Category:
Ireland
Covering Ireland both North and South
The Important Wrecking Amendment
Introduction I’ve been worried about the Irish border for some time – my wife thinks excessively – but growing up on the island of Ireland it tends to loom large. Last night was difficult as the chances of a cliff edge Brexit in March and the return of a hard border have increased dramatically. I… Read more
The White Paper and Two Tribes
The White Paper The long awaited Brexit White Paper was released yesterday. I had a few hours and started reading. I am used to reading complex documents, for example PhD theses. Some years ago I had the pleasure of being external examiner for two PhD theses at Durham and University College Dublin within a few… Read more
Conservatives for Irish Unification
Boris Johnson, rather unwisely, I thought, included the expression the “end of the dream” in his resignation letter, (a resignation which, Caroline Lucas suggested, would enable him to spend more time with his photographer). So, amid all the bluster and buffoonery Boris Johnson has dreams? I suspect they were largely of becoming Prime Minister, but… Read more
Check Mate at Chequers – possible outcomes.
Introduction It is very welcome that after over two years the British government has an agreed position after Chequers. Of course the agreement may now be in doubt after the Davis resignation and that of Johnson, the next days will be interesting, with some commentators predicting the Tory party may actually split (some good may… Read more
Brexit and the State of the Unions between England, Scotland and NI
Introduction Two major opinion polls have been published this week, the Scottish Independence and Brexit chapter from the British Social Attitudes survey (20 June) and Lord Ashcroft’s Poll on Brexit, the Border and the Union (19th June). These give a good insight as to current public opinion, with the usual caveats that no poll should… Read more
The Brexit Referendum and the Irish Abortion Referendums.
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” – Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Introduction This article was initially going to be a critical comparison of the Brexit and the 2018 Irish referendum, but the 2018 Irish referendum happened when I was heading up to the Scottish Highlands for a week and… Read more
A More Definitive guide to the DUP
It is general knowledge that there are two broad groups in Northern Ireland, the Protestant /Unionist /Loyalist (PUL) community and the Catholic /Nationalist /Republican (CNR) community. Historically the PUL community has been the majority and the CNR community the minority, but they are now getting very close to par. Nationalists tend to see themselves as… Read more
Reuniting with our friends in the North?
Seventies Dublin was comparatively peaceful, but my Halcyon days at University College Dublin (UCD) from ’73-’81 were more or less book-ended by events. Before the start of the period (’72) there was the burning of the British Embassy in response to the Bloody Sunday Massacre and in my first undergrad year I cycled past one… Read more
On Ypres and Poppies
I was fortunate to be able to take part in the Great peace run and walk in Ypres recently. I have no relatives who fought in the first world war, they thought it a war between Imperial powers, but I thought it was immensely valuable for my 13 year old son in particular to take… Read more