Celebrate peace 'by letting Ireland join the Commonwealth' - British MP

Mr.McLovin

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/celebrate-peace-by-letting-ireland-join-the-commonwealth-british-mp-30207077.html

Ireland should join the Commonwealth in the wake of Martin McGuinness’ dinner with the Queen as a signal to the world of peaceful reconciliation, a senior British Conservative has said.

Michael Fabricant, MP and a former vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, said the visits of the Queen to Dublin in 2011 and President Higgins’ reciprocal state visit last week had “put an end to over ninety years of discord.”

90 years? thought it was more like 800...

anyways I can be bought if it meant any sort of economic benefits which I don't really know if it would, if they throw in the north I think we should go for it

turnikett1

Someone has to say it...

"Sure we might as well re-join the Union altogether!"

kneemos

What is the Commonwealth?is it relevant to anyone?

BraziliaNZ

We'd get to fail miserably at the Commonwealth games AND the Olympics at least

MRnotlob606

kneemos wrote: »

What is the Commonwealth?is it relevant to anyone?

Nope just an old colonial club.

B_Rabbit

Score, they'll finally let us join, it's what we've been holding our breath for.... Fair play to them.

wendell borton

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

We'd get to fail miserably at the Commonwealth games AND the Olympics at least

Since when did we fail miserably at the Olympics? Sonia, michelle smith, our fantastic boxing and equestrian teams etc..

bear1

The crap politicians say....

El Siglo

To quote Groucho Marx: "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member".

vicwatson

Michael Fabricant?.. okayyyyyyy

LoonyLovegood

*facepalm* I just...he must be mad. Although it'd almost be worth it to see what Sinn Féin would come out with.

Captain Farrell

wendell borton wrote: »

Since when did we fail miserably at the Olympics? Sonia, michelle smith, our fantastic boxing and equestrian teams etc..

Sonia lost at the Olympics, Smith cheated, a horse got drugged plus two or three decent amateur boxers doing well. Great success...

crockholm

A nice gesture,but,can we just be friends for now,it's a bit soon to be moving into the same flat together.xoxoxo

5live

Wouldn't join the commonwealth also mean having the queen as our de facto head of state?

They can feck off with that, I will not be bowing my head to her or any of her family:mad:

And what would we do with poor Michael D?

bonzodog2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations

The term first received imperial statutory recognition in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, when the term "British Commonwealth of Nations" was substituted for "British Empire" in the wording of the oath taken by members of parliament of the Irish Free State

whisky_galore

Next they'll want us to watch their tv channels and soaps and follow their premiership teams. Where will it all end?

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Would we all get British passports? Would make emigrating easier.

c_man

I say we set-up our own "commonwealth" type organisation, with the Prez as head of state for all member countries. We can invite the Brits to join, for the sake of peace like.

The Diabolical Monocle

Not til they return the isle of Mann to us.

Captain Farrell

The Diabolical Monocle wrote: »

Not til they return the isle of Mann to us.

would much rather give you northern Ireland. None of us want the place anyway. Be good to wash our hands of the place.

My name is URL

Believe it or not, rejoining the commonwealth would be a step towards a united Ireland. Not that anyone seems to want a united Ireland!

Anyway, this suggestion is nothing new. It pops its head up every couple of years and is usually promptly forgotten about until next time round.

Duckworth_Luas

How about we join the Ottoman Empire as well and the Democratic Order of Planets from Star Wars

pconn062

Captain Farrell wrote: »

Sonia lost at the Olympics, Smith cheated, a horse got drugged plus two or three decent amateur boxers doing well. Great success...

Sonia got a silver medal at the Olympics, since when is that considered a loss?

pablomakaveli

Bit of a non-issue really. There doesn't seem to be any popular support for joining the commonwealth in Ireland anyway so it's irrelevant what this British MP thinks.

Captain Farrell

pconn062 wrote: »

Sonia got a silver medal at the Olympics, since when is that considered a loss?

hmm, maybe because the person who came first is the winner???

iDave

5live wrote: »

Wouldn't join the commonwealth also mean having the queen as our de facto head of state?

They can feck off with that, I will not be bowing my head to her or any of her family:mad:

And what would we do with poor Michael D?

No, she's the head of the Commonwealth but not HoS of each individual member.
In fact a large number of Commonwealth members are republics with their own HoS.
Mickey D can stay where he is.

voz es

El Siglo wrote: »

To quote Groucho Marx: "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member".

In the words of Voz es: ''What a great quote!''

pconn062

Captain Farrell wrote: »

hmm, maybe because the person who came first is the winner???

They give three medals for a reason you know...

seamus

Mr.McLovin wrote: »

90 years? thought it was more like 800.

Not sure where you're getting 800 years from. It's a popular figure to be sure, but it implies that Britain was a single solid entity since 1200 which persistently oppressed the Irish people. Which is demonstrably untrue.

90 years is a bit more accurate when you use the word "discord" because up until the existence of the Irish Free state, the two nations were socially and politically united. While part of the population was unhappy with British rule, the entire Irish nation wasn't at war with Britain, and most of those charged with legal and military enforcement in Ireland were Irish people themselves.

As said above, somebody suggests this every now and again, probably to gain support from old-style conservatives who still believe in the empire and the expansion of the Commonwealth system. It's not so much a jab at Ireland as it is a jab at the EU.

Joining the commonwealth would not require submission to the Queen or installing the Queen as head of state. The Queen is head of the commonwealth, which is meaningless in national terms, but some people oppose membership of anything the Queen may preside over.

Iwasfrozen

5live wrote: »

Wouldn't join the commonwealth also mean having the queen as our de facto head of state?

They can feck off with that, I will not be bowing my head to her or any of her family:mad:

And what would we do with poor Michael D?

Nope.

oppenheimer1

5live wrote: »

Wouldn't join the commonwealth also mean having the queen as our de facto head of state?

They can feck off with that, I will not be bowing my head to her or any of her family:mad:

And what would we do with poor Michael D?

Not necessarily. India has its own president and is a member of the commonwealth

super_furry

Would there be any real and tangible benefits to Ireland if we did join? Economically or otherwise.

Amirani

pconn062 wrote: »

They give three medals for a reason you know...

And they're different colours for a reason you know...

It's not that difficult to understand that the person who got gold won the race, everyone else lost.

Duckworth_Luas

super_furry wrote: »

Would there be any real and tangible benefits to Ireland if we did join? Economically or otherwise.

I think all our Olympic loser medals would be automatically upgraded to golds.

5live

Maybe we should celebrate peace by letting england join the republic?:D

Spook_ie

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

I think all our Olympic loser medals would be automatically upgraded to golds.

Might get the athletes a bit more practice against world class opposition, Bolts running in this years CW games in Scotland.

We could even host the games, well maybe not because we'd need some sporting arenas!

Happyman42

I wish somebody could come up with a list of benefits that were a little less whimsical.
The people wanting to get back into favour with royals are not the ones that are a threat to the peace, the British presence here, is and always was the 'threat' to peace.
The more Republics that join this anachronism, the more that anachronistic system of privilege and monarchy will survive. As republicans we should be against it.

Karl Stein

Get ta fuck.

Jawgap

Happyman42 wrote: »

I wish somebody could come up with a list of benefits that were a little less whimsical.
The people wanting to get back into favour with royals are not the ones that are a threat to the peace, the British presence here, is and always was the 'threat' to peace.
The more Republics that join this anachronism, the more that anachronistic system of privilege and monarchy will survive. As republicans we should be against it.

Well if the only objection is against people inheriting positions of power from their family, then it's a minor one.........have you had a look at our own Government and the Dail recently?

Our own elites are very much in existence and passing power inter-generationally, they just do it wearing less funny hats.......

Kermit.de.frog

This would be the equivalent of a battered wife returning to the divorced husband.


I say thanks but no thanks.

ScumLord

Mr Fabricant writes for Telegraph.co.uk, the proposal “is not so mad as it might at first seem”, because the Commonwealth today is founded on co-operation between English-speaking states with shared histories and legal systems.

He probably went on to wonder how strange it was that countries like India and Ireland have so many things in common, like speaking English. He makes it sound more like a support group for victims of the British empire.

twinytwo

Captain Farrell wrote: »

Sonia lost at the Olympics, Smith cheated, a horse got drugged plus two or three decent amateur boxers doing well. Great success...

Just to set some facts straight..Sonia lost to women later proven to be on drugs. Smith was never caught cheating, only that she supposedly "tampered" with a sample...(this only after she was accused by the Americans... Every though she was one of the most heavily tested athletes at the olympics) Under very dubious circumstances. Along with Cuba we have a history of producing excellent boxers.so..........ya great post

Happyman42

Jawgap wrote: »

Well if the only objection is against people inheriting positions of power from their family, then it's a minor one.........have you had a look at our own Government and the Dail recently?

Our own elites are very much in existence and passing power inter-generationally, they just do it wearing less funny hats.......

Fairly typical whataboutery from those intent on waving their wee flags and fawning.
Probably the same electorate that re-elect those who have corrupted any notions of a republic here.

MRnotlob606

U ok Hun ? wRite ta me in chat xxxxx

twinytwo

Captain Farrell wrote: »

Sonia lost at the Olympics, Smith cheated, a horse got drugged plus two or three decent amateur boxers doing well. Great success...

Just to set some facts straight..Sonia lost to women later proven to be on drugs. Smith was never caught cheating, only that she supposedly "tampered" with a sample...(this only after she was accused by the Americans... Every though she was one of the most heavily tested athletes at the olympics) Under very dubious circumstances. Along with Cuba we have a history of producing excellent boxers.so..........ya great post

Nodin

ScumLord wrote: »

He probably went on to wonder how strange it was that countries like India and Ireland have so many things in common, like speaking English. He makes it sound more like a support group for victims of the British empire.

....which, on a number of levels, is exactly what it is.

iForgetMyPW

5live wrote: »

Wouldn't join the commonwealth also mean having the queen as our de facto head of state?

They can feck off with that, I will not be bowing my head to her or any of her family:mad:

And what would we do with poor Michael D?

No...

India, Australia and Canada are in the commonwealth

Jawgap

Happyman42 wrote: »

Fairly typical whataboutery from those intent on waving their wee flags and fawning.
Probably the same electorate that re-elect those who have corrupted any notions of a republic here.

not sure what you're driving at there, but if it makes you happy carry on........

Augmerson

There will be more of this as 2016 looms. There are a lot of people in Dublin who'd wet themselves as being in the Commonwealth.

seamus

Augmerson wrote: »

There are a lot of people in Dublin who'd wet themselves as being in the Commonwealth.

I'm kind of lost in this whole, "Look at all these lovers of the crown" comments. I can honestly say in my 32 years on this planet I've never met more than one or two Irish people who have expressed any kind of actual interest in becoming part of the United Kingdom.

Is this the "no true Scotsman" fallacy in Republican form? Lamenting the fact that most of your fellow Irishmen no longer have any thirst for English blood?

sillyoulfool

I am at a total loss to see why we would want to re-join the Commonwealth.
It would bring no tangible economic or social benefits, it would be politically divisive, and it would be a retrograde step.