Jeremy Corbyn believes Irish reunification ‘has majority support’

Beta Ray Bill · 23-05-2018 04:59PM #1

Read this article today:
Jeremy Corbyn believes Irish reunification ‘has majority support’l

I know he's mentioned reunification in the past, but do you think he genuinely means it or is he just trying to give the "In Power" government a hard time?

Given that there seems to stall after stall on the border issue with NI would you support reunification?

Personally I think it's a bad idea. I think it would cause more problems than it would solve.

I think this the first time a British Politician has hinted at/put forward the idea of reunification as a solution to the Border issue post Brexit

Would you be for it or against it?

Herb Powell · 23-05-2018 04:59PM

Jeremy Corbyn, he's in the RA!

TheValeyard · 23-05-2018 05:00PM

Theres quiet a few unionists who also seem to be coming around to that point of view also.

The real question should be do we want the North back?

TheValeyard · 23-05-2018 05:00PM

Herb Powell wrote: »

Jeremy Corbyn, he's in the RA!

P.O Neill?

23-05-2018 05:01PM

What's the point of reunification

Sky King · 23-05-2018 05:01PM

Given that there seems to stall after stall on the border issue with NI would you support reunification?

Only if there was overwhelming support for it. Anything less than that, no way. It's a can of orange worms.

Hurrache · 23-05-2018 05:02PM

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

The real question should be do we want the North back?

It would be economic suicide.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 23-05-2018 05:04PM

We don't want them old man. They're your responsibility not ours, don't you dare try and destabilise our country with such talk.

BattleCorp · 23-05-2018 05:04PM

HE'S WRONG.

Beta Ray Bill · 23-05-2018 05:05PM

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

Theres quiet a few unionists who also seem to be coming around to that point of view also.

The real question should be do we want the North back?

That's the big question for me.

Can we afford to have N.I back?
Do we want the hassle that will come with it?

That being said, "Land" is the only thing they aren't making more of.

Red_Wake · 23-05-2018 05:07PM

A timely reminder to the DUP of what awaits them if they don't support the Tory party in all things.

A true imbecile is our Jeremy. More likely Tory rebels will collapse government than the DUP.

23-05-2018 05:07PM

I'm from the north but living in the republic now. Before Brexit I was happy with the status quo but probably would have supported a border poll and unification if it came up but it wasn't a major concern for me.

Now that Brexit is in full swing I would fully support unification provided there is overwhelming support and a solid roadmap as to how government would run and with EU funding to bring the north (and the rest of Ulster) up to some semblance of a modern standard.

Basically, the opposite of Brexit with well laid plans in advance of a border poll.

uck51js9zml2yt · 23-05-2018 05:10PM

Yes we should definitely be reunited with NI and the United Kingdom.

God save the .....;)

Are Am Eye · 23-05-2018 05:12PM

He might be trying to set up a grand alliance - the Palestinians, IRA and the British Labor Party.

kneemos · 23-05-2018 05:14PM

Instead of taking it back can we give them Donegal and Dundalk.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 23-05-2018 05:17PM

Dangerous talk from this old loon.

Labour would want to keep a tighter leash on him.

Any sign of the centre leftists to wrestle back control from the Far left side of the party?

eeguy · 23-05-2018 05:23PM

Hurrache wrote: »

It would be economic suicide.

Perhaps.
But would it be worth it in the long run? Can we get the EU to invest all the money they usually invest in the UK into just a unified NI?

I'd love to see a whole island Republic, but only if it could be achieved non-violently.

storker · 23-05-2018 05:24PM

The problem I see is that reunification seems to be seen as some kind of end, or closure, to the whole story where in fact it would just open up a new round of unrest. Unionists won't want any part of it, since their entire sense of self appears to revolve around not being Irish, and we know that there are elements within unionism/loyalism that will resort to violence to express their disapproval. So we'd just be left with a mirror image of the old troubles; bombs in Dublin instead of London, and Irish soldiers being killed in the six counties instead of British ones. And the massive public spending that would go with it.

The only way I can see that being avoided is if the reunification is followed by ethnic cleansing of unionists and I couldn't support that, no matter how hard some unionist politicians appear to work at making that seem an acceptable proposition...

DEFTLEFTHAND · 23-05-2018 05:29PM

You can't just force 100s of thousands of people to abandon their culture and all their principles. They'll turn ape if anything like this was ever suggested.

We don't war. To me they're a different people.

Are Am Eye · 23-05-2018 05:31PM

eeguy wrote: »

Perhaps.
But would it be worth it in the long run? Can we get the EU to invest all the money they usually invest in the UK into just a unified NI?

I'd love to see a whole island Republic, but only if it could be achieved non-violently.

In the six counties there is no real natural resources or manufacturing base. They don't really produce anything or generate any economic activity to cover the cost for these one million people. One million people who are long accustomed to being subsidised and propped up.
Even if these people decided to join with ROI would they be doing it on the basis that they have to tighten their belt. Get by with less. Or would they expect to subsidised.

CrankyHaus · 23-05-2018 05:32PM

Theoretically unification makes sense : 2 states, 2 economies and 2 currencies on a small island is inherently inefficient. Ireland's distressed border region would do much better economically with the border gone.

Practically NI poses severe problems to a unified Ireland : its economic development lags behind ours and a sizable amount of people there would resist a unified Irish state through any means, including violence.

Without qualified majority support from all segments of the PUL community reunification would be a hazardous undertaking.

I can't see that happening anytime soon.
Both the DUP and SF deliberately stir the pot on sectarian tensions at regular intervals. It's how they ensure one side of their support base doesn't F off to more moderate groups like Alliance or the SDLP and that the other doesn't shift support to hardliners like the Dissos or TUV.

Mutant z · 23-05-2018 05:35PM

He's not in a position to do something about it though or ever will be i firmly support the reunification of this island but people like Corbyn don't help matters perhaps he's best to concentrate on his own country post Brexit.

23-05-2018 05:39PM

Herb Powell wrote: »

Jeremy Corbyn, he's in the RA!

buried · 23-05-2018 05:40PM

lol

CrankyHaus · 23-05-2018 05:50PM

Are Am Eye wrote: »

In the six counties there is no real natural resources or manufacturing base. They don't really produce anything or generate any economic activity to cover the cost for these one million people.

They have a sizeable manufacturing heritage, some Marine industry and some defence/aerospace industry like Thales and Bombardier. Incidentally Raytheon set up in Derry for several years recently until Eamonn McCann's crew occupied the factory in some jobs-destroying protest about Israel.

Tbf any economy would take a hit from decades of low intensity conflict.

In addition NI was far more exposed to de-industrialisation than we were and its unlikely that it handled it any worse than many other peripheral parts of the UK affected by it.

NI has also reduced the portion of its employment provided by the state in recent years.

As a whole it has significant potential.

Jimbob1977 · 23-05-2018 06:03PM

I think a reunification poll in Northern Ireland would fail by 60/40. Many 'Catholics' would consider themselves better off in the UK.

Brexit might change that outlook. It remains to be seen.

In terms of the Republic of Ireland, a reunification poll should pass by 80/20. To be honest, it should be closer to 100/0. Some Irish people (like Scots) only think of their own pocket.

The West Germans knew that East Germany was a costly basket case in 1990, but their common bond was irrepressible. West Germany could never turn East Germany away over money. It was their dream to be united.... no matter the cost.

The yearning of Koreans is to be united also.

Royale with Cheese · 23-05-2018 06:08PM

There was never a sizeable, majority even, portion of the population that didn't want to unify with west Germany or consider themselves ethnically different from. It was not the same situation at all.

Beta Ray Bill · 23-05-2018 06:20PM

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

In terms of the Republic of Ireland, a reunification poll should pass by 80/20. To be honest, it should be closer to 100/0. Some Irish people (like Scots) only think of their own pocket.

Nothing wrong with that.
If given a choice of an additional 2% to 3% tax plus reunification -vs- no additional tax and a hard border.
I'd be going for the Hard Border every time... Tax in Rep of Ireland is ridiculous at the moment.

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

The West Germans knew that East Germany was a costly basket case in 1990, but their common bond was irrepressible. West Germany could never turn East Germany away over money. It was their dream to be united.... no matter the cost.

I think this is a little different, East considered themselves "occupied".
and there was only around 45 years of separation. Culturally they were the same.

Ireland has been divided over twice that amount of time and those in the North don't share the same cultural identity that those in the south do. Nor do they consider themselves occupied. (That being said, there are those in the south that consider NI an occupied territory)

RobertKK · 23-05-2018 06:26PM

Brexit if it continues on its current path will lead to Irish reunification and Scottish Independence.
There are a lot of concerns over what would happen if there was reunification, Northern Ireland is so much poorer than Ireland and overly dependent on public sector jobs, the massive budget deficit and the section of bigots in NI society, the kind who burn our flag...
But then an all island economy would save money, there would be far more investment in the 6 counties and it would likely be short term pain for long term gain for all.
It will soon be 100 years since the failed partition experiment started, the poorest region on the island is the bit that didn't get it's freedom from the UK,and with Brexit that won't be changing.
There is more and more talk about a unified island of Ireland, whether it has majority support is questionable, but as we head further and further down the Brexit road, then the chance of reunification rises in my opinion, given it will make people a lot poorer.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 23-05-2018 06:27PM

grahambo wrote: »

If given a choice of an additional 2% to 3% tax plus reunification -vs- no additional tax and a hard border.
I'd be going for the Hard Border every time... Tax in Rep of Ireland is ridiculous at the moment.

As an Irishman, that's just so depressing.

OldMrBrennan83 · 23-05-2018 06:29PM

This post has been deleted.

Jeremy Corbyn believes Irish reunification ‘has majority support’

Would you support reunification of the Island of Ireland? 402 votes

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