How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

I think you need to be more accepting of a large body of Unionists, at the very least you need to let them know they're wanted.

See the way I look at this is that Unionists should be a bit more confident about it, Ireland is their home as much as it is mine. Instead of asking to be wanted Unionists should be saying 'if we end up in a United Ireland we will not come meekly to the political structures'. This, of course, horrifies the southern establishment as people from the north have a much higher expectations when it comes to stuff like public housing and free medical care. A lot of partitionists hate the idea of a UI for the very reasons above, the notion a powerful social-democratic force in the Dail makes them wince.

Every person who votes for SF knows they will not take their seats. Because they openly say it. Perfectly democratic. You want someone to take a seat in WM, vote for somebody else. Simple.

When a party tells you they won't do something and then turn around and do it after they get a vote - that leaves a big question mark about how democratic they are.

No blanch, the TUV are refusing to act as democrats in the executive office in which they BOTH sit. As are the DUP.

Similar to what happened here they are banding together to exclude.

Somebody so sensitive about exclusionary politics should know this stuff.

More nonsensical rubbish.

That would be fair if the TUV only said that AFTER the election. However, they are saying it before the election, giving people the democratic right to vote for their position or not. If, like in the case of SF abstentionism in Westminister, the Northern Irish people are stupid enough to elect the TUV (or anyone else who declares it before the election) who will refuse to support a SF First Minister, that, however unpalatable, is the democratic will of the people.

Nope, that is a difference based on relative success and the protection of minorities in the GFA.

Stormont functions like that precisely because of the protection of minorities in the GFA. That means minority parties can collapse Stormont on a whim, say the difference between a Minority Languages Act and an Irish Languages Act, something very minor that went on for years.

Westminister would collapse if Sinn Fein won sufficient seats across the UK so that it couldn't function, as I said, the only difference is the threshold for success in collapsing Stormont is set at a lower level by the GFA.

You really don't get the massive stupidity in your analysis.

If SF get the highest vote from the electorate and qualify for the FM post, that is 'democracy' in action.

SF observed the rules since the GFA and nominated a DFM and recognised the FM.

The DUP and TUV are repudiating the democratic choice of the majority.

It is a totally different thing.

Yes, the democratic will of the people is that a minority party should be allowed do this. We had Sinn Fein collapse Stormont on a whim for four years. Sauce for the goose means that they can't complain if another party does it over a fundamental point around First Minister.

Ah pivot to something else to cover the blushes.

Nothing to do with it blanch.

The DUP and TUV are intending to ignore the democratic will of the people if it goes against them.

As clear a definition of anti democracy as you will get and you are defending them. The mask slips.

The TUV and DUP are threatening to ignore the democratic will of the electorate blanch.

And you cannot bring yourself to call them out on that.

SF and the DUP can at anytime walk out of Stormont, as can the SDLP, Alliance etc and that is within their democratic mandate (rightly or wrongly, it's a separate issue)

Yet here you are defending TUV.....you'll make an ally of anyone if it sets you up for taking digs at SF, Blanch.

There is a difference, though, between collapsing Stormont over a specific issue or to secure or defend a specific policy, and fightin an election on a platform of collapsing Stormont because, on principle, you don't want the largest party to nominate the First Minister. In the latter case you are directing setting yourself against the democratic will of the people, which has endorsed the Stormont system, and a defence of such a stance on the basis that, if the nihilist party gets enough votes to collapse Stormont, it's "the democratic will of the people!" is absurd. It's a flat rejection of the democratic will of the people.

You make a good point there about the far right of unionism essentially shooting themselves in the foot.

I am not defending TUV, all I am doing is pointing out the hypocrisy in praising one collapse of Stormont and criticising the other.

I am criticising both.