Ireland in UK?

Star_Buck

I just thought I would throw the idea out. Would anyone be in favor of Ireland Joining in an act of Union with Britain? I'm aware some extremist parties within mainland Britain are in favor. Im also aware that there are people within Fine Gael who would back such a decision. Personally, I would be 110% against any notion of the idea. There is too much history and cultural conflict for it ever to be in my opinion. Are you in in favor or against? For what reasons?

passive

Star_Buck wrote: »

I just thought I would throw the idea out. Would anyone be in favor of Ireland Joining in an act of Union with Britain? I'm aware some extremist parties within mainland Britain are in favor. Im also aware that there are people within Fine Gael who would back such a decision. Personally, I would be 110% against any notion of the idea. There is too much history and cultural conflict for it ever to be in my opinion. Are you in in favor or against? For what reasons?

Atari Jaguar.

baztard

Star_Buck wrote: »

...
Im also aware that there are people within Fine Gael who would back such a decision
...

Who ?

This has been done to death before.

stovelid

Star_Buck wrote: »

I just thought I would throw the idea out. Would anyone be in favor of Ireland Joining in an act of Union with Britain? I'm aware some extremist parties within mainland Britain are in favor. Im also aware that there are people within Fine Gael who would back such a decision. Personally, I would be 110% against any notion of the idea. There is too much history and cultural conflict for it ever to be in my opinion. Are you in in favor or against? For what reasons?

We're already in a union with Britain - and twenty-five other countries.

mike65

+1 for this

Mike.

stovelid

mike65 wrote: »

+1 for this

Mike.

+1 for a UK/Ireland football team anyway.

GreenHell

oh oh he said mainland britain..

Fratton Fred

As long as we get to pick and choose which bits of which country we adopt.

Tesco's would have to charge the same here as in England and we would insist on Asda opening up as well. Obviously everything that currently attracts 21% VAT would go to 17.5% but the lower VAT products would stay as they are.

Ireland's TAX policy would have to come into force but duty on Alcohol would have to drop so we pay the same for wine here as in the UK.

NO VRT, let me say that again NO VRT

It's never gonna happen so we may as well get carried away

(I know one poster that is going to love this thread :rolleyes::D)

Kama

Northern Ireland, the Republic, Wales, Scotland and Cornwall should form a Celtic Fringe Federation and repress the Sassenach!
Roll on devolution!

Fratton Fred

Kama wrote: »

Northern Ireland, the Republic, Wales, Scotland and Cornwall should form a Celtic Fringe Federation and repress the Sassenach!
Roll on devolution!

I remember seeing a political paty once that was campaigning for independance for London and the home counties, on the assumption that 90% of Britains wealth is in the South East.:p

I would suggest you don't try and get the Cornish into the Magners League either, they are savages on a rugby pitch

turgon

Kama wrote: »

Northern Ireland, the Republic, Wales, Scotland and Cornwall should form a Celtic Fringe Federation and repress the Sassenach!
Roll on devolution!

And Brittany and the Isle of Man of course.

This Union idea is ridicules. Why do you think a lot of the Scots want out? Its lot like its some fairy heaven land.

Wait til kev_ps3 finds this!!

Fratton Fred

turgon wrote: »

And Brittany and the Isle of Man of course.

This Union idea is ridicules. Why do you think a lot of the Scots want out? Its lot like its some fairy heaven land.

Wait til kev_ps3 finds this!!

Of course it's fantasy, but we may as well enjoy it before this thread gets too silly.

drunkmonkey

We were in the Commonwealth with the UK until 1949, we were the only country to ever leave it, we still have the same rights as other Commonwealth members, technically you could say were still joined with them under law..

OPENROAD

Fratton Fred wrote: »

we would insist on Asda opening up as well.
(I know one poster that is going to love this thread :rolleyes::D)

Can we have Waitrose please.

eoin5

OPENROAD wrote: »

Can we have Waitrose please.

Who was it that opened in Dublin city centre years ago and had to leave post-haste? Was it Woolworths?

ejmaztec

OPENROAD wrote: »

Can we have Waitrose please.

An over-priced supermarket group? No thanks.:p

OPENROAD

ejmaztec wrote: »

An over-priced supermarket group? No thanks.:p

Don't mind paying extra for quality though like most UK groups that open up here they are not a patch on UK Equiv. imo.

LordSutch

eoin5 wrote: »

Who was it that opened in Dublin city centre years ago and had to leave post-haste? Was it Woolworths?

I remember C&A (or BHS) in the City Centre being picketed & threatened by Republicans in the early 80s (because they were a 'British' store') so they promptly pulled-out of the Republic post-haste, but that was before it was acceptable to have UK 'High-Street' stores here ................

I must admit that I am not 100% sure if it was the picketing that forced them to withdraw so speedily, but it is amusing how, 25 years later how every second shop in Dublin is a UK 'High Street' Store which is actually great for consumer choice, but probably baffling to tourists :rolleyes:

Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle, theyre all the same really, apart from the Green post boxes, the Euro, & extra VAT that we have to pay!

OPENROAD

ArthurF wrote: »

apart from the Green post boxes

And apparently a good chunk of these are Royal Mail post boxees painted green.

dlofnep

How about the UK join Ireland and swear allegience to us? That's right Queeny, put down your crumpets and drink some Guinness! You're under our roof now!

Kev_ps3

dlofnep wrote: »

How about the UK join Ireland and swear allegience to us? That's right Queeny, put down your crumpets and drink some Guinness! You're under our roof now!

I would support that!;)
No independent country wants to be ruled by another. But if the Brits want to be ruled by us then im ok with that lol

SlabMurphy

Star_Buck wrote: »

I just thought I would throw the idea out. Would anyone be in favor of Ireland Joining in an act of Union with Britain? I'm aware some extremist parties within mainland Britain are in favor. Im also aware that there are people within Fine Gael who would back such a decision. Personally, I would be 110% against any notion of the idea. There is too much history and cultural conflict for it ever to be in my opinion. Are you in in favor or against? For what reasons?

Stupidest post 2008.

ArthurF wrote: »

I remember C&A (or BHS) in the City Centre being picketed & threatened by Republicans in the early 80s (because they were a 'British' store') so they promptly pulled-out of the Republic post-haste, but that was before it was acceptable to have UK 'High-Street' stores here ................

I must admit that I am not 100% sure if it was the picketing that forced them to withdraw so speedily, but it is amusing how, 25 years later how every second shop in Dublin is a UK 'High Street' Store which is actually great for consumer choice, but probably baffling to tourists :rolleyes:

Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle, theyre all the same really, apart from the Green post boxes, the Euro, & extra VAT that we have to pay!

Well, since we also have American fast food outlets such as McDonalds, Burger King, Star Bucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken etc all over the place, does that mean we should become the 51st state of America ?? And since the UK High St shops sell mainly clothes of American origin, jeans, t shirts, sweat shirts, hooded tops etc, and also have McDonalds, Burger King etc does that mean the brits should also become a state of America ? As far as I can see, it's the more and more Americanisation of us that's happened.

seamus

SlabMurphy wrote: »

As far as I can see, it's the more and more Americanisation of us that's happened.

If you've ever actually been in the US and gone to one of these stores in the US, you'll realise that the only thing that our "American" shops have in common with their American heritage, is the name. In restaurants, the food and service are completely different; in clothes shops the layout, the branding and the attitude are completely different.
British shops on the other hand, tend to be very similar both here and in the UK.

Except in the UK, they have better stock.

djpbarry

turgon wrote: »

Why do you think a lot of the Scots want out?

That remains to be seen.

eoin5 wrote: »

Who was it that opened in Dublin city centre years ago and had to leave post-haste? Was it Woolworths?

I seem to remember relatives telling me about Woolworths in Dublin alright, but I'm not sure if that's (picketing) why they left.

ArthurF wrote: »

I remember C&A (or BHS) in the City Centre being picketed & threatened by Republicans in the early 80s..

It may have been BHS, but it wasn't C&A; they only ever had the one store in Ireland, in Liffey Valley SC in Dublin. I actually worked there in the late 90's, early 00's when I was in college; amazing the number of people who were actually happy to see the place go because it was perceived as British, even though it is Dutch in origin.

ArthurF wrote: »

...it is amusing how, 25 years later how every second shop in Dublin is a UK 'High Street' Store which is actually great for consumer choice...

Not sure about that.

ejmaztec

djpbarry wrote: »

That remains to be seen.
I seem to remember relatives telling me about Woolworths in Dublin alright, but I'm not sure if that's (picketing) why they left.

Woolworth is an American company. The American owners decided on a bit of worldwide cost-cutting. In the UK, the stores were sold off but were allowed to continue using the Woolworth name. I seem to think that the Irish stores all closed because they were not economically viable. I don't think that American stores would have been picketed for anti-British reasons. Perhaps, if Woolworth was picketed, it was because jobs were going to disappear when they pulled out.

FX Meister

Star_Buck wrote: »

I just thought I would throw the idea out.

Pull it back in. Stupid idea for any number of reasons.

FX Meister

ejmaztec wrote: »

An over-priced supermarket group? No thanks.:p

We already have superquinn anyways

mox54

That's a great idea, Join the UK and take all their wealth and prosperity and flush it dowm the toilet and make them a near bankrupt economy like we've managed to do already, it's a skill we've developed and we need to spread the gospel of just how inept we really are!!!!:)

ejmaztec

mox54 wrote: »

That's a great idea, Join the UK and take all their wealth and prosperity and flush it dowm the toilet and make them a near bankrupt economy like we've managed to do already, it's a skill we've developed and we need to spread the gospel of just how inept we really are!!!!:)

Rank amateurs compared to Mugabe - he's the man for that kind of job.

OPENROAD

ejmaztec wrote: »

Woolworth is an American company. The American owners decided on a bit of worldwide cost-cutting. In the UK, the stores were sold off but were allowed to continue using the Woolworth name. I seem to think that the Irish stores all closed because they were not economically viable. I don't think that American stores would have been picketed for anti-British reasons. Perhaps, if Woolworth was picketed, it was because jobs were going to disappear when they pulled out.

Sorry what period are we talking about stores being picketed for anti British reasons, I certainly can't remember this happening, are we talking about 60's or 70's.

magick

yeah but i dont think the british public/or army would like to be ruled from Dublin

stink_fist

Over my dead body!!!!!

eoin5

djpbarry wrote: »

It may have been BHS, but it wasn't C&A; ...

Yup, its confirmed as BHS. I think woolworths left because they had more than the odd opportunist helping themselves.

ejmaztec

OPENROAD wrote: »

Sorry what period are we talking about stores being picketed for anti British reasons, I certainly can't remember this happening, are we talking about 60's or 70's.

I'm assuming the 1980s. I wasn't here then but I vaguely remember hearing about the trouble at the time. It was a bit more low-key compared to the torching of the British Embassy in 1972.

Fratton Fred

eoin5 wrote: »

I think woolworths left because they had more than the odd opportunist helping themselves.

Shame, it's one of my favourite stores.....it's cheap:D

LordSutch

Maybe the original question should have asked "Will Northern Ireland ever leave the UK" ? instead of 'will the Repoublic re-join' although the North's future in the 'Union' depends on how the concept of the 'UK' evolves with devolution & the ever changing relationships between all the countries/ regions of the british isles ......

Personally, I would say that there is as much chance of Scotland leaving the UK as there is of the Republic re-joining (No chance)!

lg123

loads of talk here about the low VAT and no VRT etc. everyone has forgotten about the high income tax you pay under the british system. if you dont belive me, punch your salary into these two online calcs

http://www.taxcalc.eu/ for the irish and here http://listentotaxman.com/ for the british system

and convert here http://www.xe.com/

see how much better off you are!!

the last time i done this calc (march 07), the switch point was €50k pa. if under you are better off in the irish system, over €50k better off in the british system. its a bit early for my brain but i think with the stronger euro, that figure has probably risen.

mumhaabu

I think the event which would change things for the best would be if the UK were to adopt the Euro as their currency. The ROI will never rejoin the UK or commonwealth. Northern Ireland will probably remain in the UK I can't see much changing so long as the peace process remains on course. However yesterdays news reports of the Orange Drummers inviting Catholic's with a musical background to join them and the rhetoric of the speaker seemed very positive.

ejmaztec

lg123 wrote: »

loads of talk here about the low VAT and no VRT etc. everyone has forgotten about the high income tax you pay under the british system. if you dont belive me, punch your salary into these two online calcs

http://www.taxcalc.eu/ for the irish and here http://listentotaxman.com/ for the british system

and convert here http://www.xe.com/



see how much better off you are!!

the last time i done this calc (march 07), the switch point was €50k pa. if under you are better off in the irish system, over €50k better off in the british system. its a bit early for my brain but i think with the stronger euro, that figure has probably risen.

Of course, if you happen to be unemployed, the tax calcs are of little or no relevance. Also, is one more likely to unemployed in Ireland than in the UK when the economic going gets tough?

After the December 08 budget, Irish tax rates might also be heading back in the wrong direction.

the_syco

One organisation that would love this would be the hardcore IRA. It'd give them a new meaning. Oh, and more places to bomb.

lg123

@ ej: the dole in the british system in 2005 was ~£50/wk plus rent allowance, in ireland it was circa €160 plus rent allowance.

@ syco: never heard of the hardcore IRA, only the CIRA, RIRA, PIRA. They a new dissident group? they sound a lot more dangerous than the others!!

on a side note, anyone hear that request on 2fm today for everyone in portadown, it was my chemical romance, the black parade?

murphaph

One can't make simple comparisons about which country one would be better off in purely based on one's take-home pay! The UK (for example) has far superior public services (no paying €50 to see a GP for 5 minutes, nevermind another €50 for a basic prescription!). Food is cheaper. VAT is lower but they have domestic rates (council tax) and duty on cigarrettes and petrol is higher, car insurance is lower and so on...there are too many variables I feel and it depends on the individual (non-smoking, infrequent car driver who gets sick regularly and who rents rather than owns house may well be better off in the UK!) as to whether you'd be better off in the UK or RoI. However, any pals of mine who've worked in both states all maintain that they have a better standard of living in the UK.

the_syco

lg123 wrote: »

@ syco: never heard of the hardcore IRA, only the CIRA, RIRA, PIRA. They a new dissident group? they sound a lot more dangerous than the others!!

By "hardcore", I meant all the original bad boys. The ones from PIRA who went on to form PIRA, CIRA, INLA, etc. They, and all of their sub groups would be back in business very quickly.

dlofnep

The "hardcore" IRA were wimps compared to the British Paratroopers. Shooting innocent children in the face takes balls the size of watermelons! You gotta give it up to them Brits. When it comes to terrorism, they are surely top of the pile.

Moriarty

dlofnep wrote: »

The "hardcore" IRA were wimps compared to the British Paratroopers. Shooting innocent children in the face takes balls the size of watermelons! You gotta give it up to them Brits. When it comes to terrorism, they are surely top of the pile.

It's lucky we have terrorist sympathisers such as yourself to keep them on the straight and narrow I guess.

Fratton Fred

murphaph wrote: »

One can't make simple comparisons about which country one would be better off in purely based on one's take-home pay! The UK (for example) has far superior public services (no paying €50 to see a GP for 5 minutes, nevermind another €50 for a basic prescription!). Food is cheaper. VAT is lower but they have domestic rates (council tax) and duty on cigarrettes and petrol is higher, car insurance is lower and so on...there are too many variables I feel and it depends on the individual (non-smoking, infrequent car driver who gets sick regularly and who rents rather than owns house may well be better off in the UK!) as to whether you'd be better off in the UK or RoI. However, any pals of mine who've worked in both states all maintain that they have a better standard of living in the UK.

I guess it depends on what you mean by standard of living as well. We had a lot more disposable income in the UK, but we would have had to £10k a year to get her into a good school. it costs us €500 here for books. She can also play out in the street here, I would never have let her do that in the UK. That obviously changes on the area though.

We had more material things in England, but an overall better life here I think, although anytome you need to contact Sky/NTL/eircom/ any government body the reasons for moving to Ireland becomes less apparant. Customer service in this country is appalling.

Affable

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I remember seeing a political paty once that was campaigning for independance for London and the home counties, on the assumption that 90% of Britains wealth is in the South East.:p

Those kind of people are absolute ****tards. (And I'm a southerner)

dlofnep

Moriarty wrote: »

It's lucky we have terrorist sympathisers such as yourself to keep them on the straight and narrow I guess.

What can I say. I'm a sympathetic person and we're in Ireland, land of the lucky! Imagine that?

But for the sake of a bit of banter, which terrorist(s) is it that I support?

lg123

Moriarty wrote: »

It's lucky we have terrorist sympathisers such as yourself to keep them on the straight and narrow I guess.

if they liberated the 6 counties they would be freedom fighters, ongoing occupation they are terrorists........

lg123

murphaph wrote: »

One can't make simple comparisons about which country one would be better off in purely based on one's take-home pay! The UK (for example) has far superior public services (no paying €50 to see a GP for 5 minutes, nevermind another €50 for a basic prescription!). Food is cheaper. VAT is lower but they have domestic rates (council tax) and duty on cigarrettes and petrol is higher, car insurance is lower and so on...there are too many variables I feel and it depends on the individual (non-smoking, infrequent car driver who gets sick regularly and who rents rather than owns house may well be better off in the UK!) as to whether you'd be better off in the UK or RoI. However, any pals of mine who've worked in both states all maintain that they have a better standard of living in the UK.

i have lived in both and in belfast coincidentally. in the south you have the medical card if you are eligable....and so on, as you said there are too many variables. in the end i disagree though. i think i have a better standard of living here in ireland (SW).

It wasn't me!

lg123 wrote: »

if they liberated the 6 counties they would be freedom fighters, ongoing occupation they are terrorists........

No, they'd still be scummy terrorists.