Sunny Disposition wrote: » Unionism finds very unfortunate things to unite over. It just never seems to accept that nationalists need to be accommodated if NI is not going to always be a basket case. Just in the past few years it has fought gay marriage, an Irish language act and the post Brexit protocol. Getting on board with all of these would have been a good move, opposing them all makes it look very angry and unreasonable. Surely the DUP position on gay marriage must have lost it support among Protestants, certainly won’t have made itself more acceptable to the vast majority of Catholics.
Sunny Disposition wrote: » Now that is a nonsense, unrealistic, no more than expecting unionists to relinquish their British identity.
downcow wrote: » So we have had Scotland horrified by brexit happening against their wishes and still the scots people want to remain in our great nation. That’s reassuring on a Sunday morning. Mind you the nature of the UK is that should they ever decide to leave then I will wish them well and continue the great relationship we have with them. But I don’t expect that to happen.https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.scotsman.com/news/politics/poll-suggests-no-vote-lead-as-salmond-inquiry-drives-voters-away-from-scottish-independence-3157134%3famp
Natterjack from Kerry wrote: » Exactly. So why do nationalists expect unionist to do so ? Or even try to bomb them into doing so ?
Sunny Disposition wrote: » I don’t think many nationalists think that is realistic. There hasn’t been an IRA campaign for a long time and even then only a relatively small minority of Catholics supported it.
Natterjack from Kerry wrote: » What ? Any nationalist promoting a united Ireland by implication expects unionists to cease being British.
FrancieBrady wrote: » Rubbish. People can identify how they wish here already.
Natterjack from Kerry wrote: » Exactly. The perfect compromise has been arrived at, and any united Ireland promotion is just wasted effort, needlessly provocative, and wouldnt improve the position of the people of Northern Ireland. In a UI situation, they could not identify as British.
FrancieBrady wrote: » How would they not be able to identify as British? There are loads of people who identify as British here as it is. You are not making sense.
Natterjack from Kerry wrote: » It makes perfect sense. They are British citizens today. But if NI were part of a united Ireland, then of course some of their identity would be removed. They wouldnt be using the pound, electing representatives to Westminster, be part of the UK legal system etc. Everybody there, not just loads, identify as British to some degree - they live in the UK. Some only slightly, and view themselves more as Irish. Saying they could still identify as British is as nonsense as the transgender thing, like a woman saying they 'identify' as a man. Thats fine for them to think it. But they are still a woman in reality. Similarly, the unionists who are now no longer part of the UK identifying as British is nonsense - they would be Irish. And they know that.
FrancieBrady wrote: » They have the right to identify as Irish or British today...that is the reality you are denying here. They will still have that right in a UI. You are highlighting some of the vagaries and stupidities of partition...we know all this. This is what happens if you forcibly partition somewhere.
Natterjack from Kerry wrote: » Again, like the woman who cant really be a man however much they self identify as one, it doesnt matter how much the unionist self identifies as British if his home is now in Eire and not in the UK, he will still be Irish. Which is not what he wants.
[Deleted User] wrote: » I imagine the definition of Britishness will be a decision for the UK. It won't be in power of a United Ireland to either grant or take away. I'm sure it will form part of the negotiations but practically if say after a few years a UK government decides to repudiate that there wouldn't be much an Irish government could do.
Fionn1952 wrote: » With regards to future generations born in NI post Unification, this would certainly be the case. The Irish government has no power (beyond soft power leveraged during negotiations as you said) to give someone British citizenship. Those who currently hold British citizenship could not have that taken away by the British government under any reasonable interpretation; regardless of the constitutional position in NI at that time, at the point of that person's birth, they were born in the United Kingdom.
FrancieBrady wrote: » Correct, that would be for Unionism to negotiate as they leave the UK. Personally, I wouldn't trust a word the UK say for obvious reasons, so good luck to them on that.
Fionn1952 wrote: » I suspect (and would hope) it would be for the Irish government to negotiate on behalf of the almost a million Ulster Scots people who now live in the country rather than just dumping the issue and telling them to sort it out themselves.
Natterjack from Kerry wrote: » Saying they could still identify as British is as nonsense as the transgender thing, like a woman saying they 'identify' as a man. Thats fine for them to think it. But they are still a woman in reality.
downcow wrote: » Oh dear! I got serious abuse for suggesting the ireland / France birder could take a share of the checks to ease the situation. I got told no one in Eu would ever consider that. Tony connelly, who is a champion for ROI and puts down any piece of light that removes the protocol, Has written an interesting piece. You might want to scroll towards the end of it (or you might not lol)https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.rte.ie/amp/1201287/ But don’t worry, if this happens then the UK could invite ROI into its internal market.
But that is pre-empting a discussion which is not really being had
downcow wrote: » But don’t worry, if this happens then the UK could invite ROI into its internal market.
FrancieBrady wrote: » Scratching my head here again as to the uniqueness of that downcow. We have know all that from the start.
downcow wrote: » I must have been sleeping I missed you suggesting that may be an option the Eu goes for Francie lol We will be getting though serious amounts of popcorn as this heats up haha
FrancieBrady wrote: » The only thing heating is Unionism and it looks like imploding in humiliation again. Petition = fail Debate = fail Fake terror threats = fail Letter to EU = fail Stop Infrastructure work = fail EU = 'Nice popcorn'.
downcow wrote: » As seen from Francieworld lol