How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

Yes, but that 7th equates to "potentially" 50% voting no, hence they're in a position to bargain. They'd probably ask for stuff they don't even want out of spite, or possibly to dissuade the Yes vote in the south.

Note also, there is potential that, that 50% could rise (or fall) but is likely to rise once things like state pensions, benefits, services that will or will not be affected are placed on the table.

NI has an average age of 40, people that are starting to think about retirement plans. If I was in their shoes I certainly wouldn't vote for "uncertainty" given the current global economic climate.

Genuinely I can never see it happening, there's peace on our Island, that's all that matters, so why change anything?

Dunno why anyone would even want a "united Ireland" , the two parts of the island have been apart for so long now that we are two different peoples. The cost to the South of integrating the North would be enormous and would result in increased taxes as well as huge social and policing problems. Leave Britain to finance the North, they took it so now they can keep it and pay for it.

it's not about wanting it, it's about the fact that it is, whether people like it or not, the ultimate destination of the GFA and is going to happen.

partition was always going to fail, it failed decades ago, and reunification is unavoidable.

the costs to the south would be small, the main cost of northern ireland is the debt britain has put on to it, which is it's problem, and the subsidization of both it's contribution to british institutions, and the cost of british institutions loaded on to it.

th social and policing problems would be small, over all unionism isn't going to resort to anything as they know they would lose and achieve nothing, and belligerent unionism is in it's death throws anyway.

britain won't be keeping it, if northern ireland does vote for reunification britain will be forcing us to take them.

it is and it is

reunification is the end game, it's unavoidable, it's happening, it's a case of when not if.

I am familiar with the text of the GFA and nowhere does it say any of that. Yes, it was spun a little that way to convince the exclusionary nationalists to get on board, but it is nowhere in the GFA.

Well, that is the conclusion I am coming to. We are coming to a stage where neither of the GFA options can or will ever command a majority in a vote. If there was a vote tomorrow to remain in the Union with the other option completely open, I would see the Union option defeated. Similarly, if there was a vote tomorrow to have a united Ireland with the other option completely open, I would see the United Ireland option defeated too.

At the moment, there is no third option, but something different to the two traditional options is what is required in the medium to longer term. That menu is large with everything from a united Ireland in the Commonwealth to a fully independent Northern Ireland with varieties of joint authority, federalism and con-federalism across the continuum of possibilities.

Easiest option is to go county by county.

no that was just a claim from an individual who is against reunification.

regardless of what someone may see themself as or not, they are either irish or british, and even if northern irish did become a real reality as an identity, that is ultimately irish since northern ireland is not and won't ever be an independant state since it can't govern itself.

self-government has been tried in some form for 100 years and it hasn't worked, so we know ireland can only be part of another state.

We've discussed it before, Blanch. I'm open to quite a few options beyond, 'Ireland absorbs NI and everything else goes on as before'. That wouldn't actually be my preference to begin with.

Some of your solutions are awkward halfway houses that I don't think could ever command substantial support, particularly your push around NI independence.

The current awkward halfway house solution has worked for 25 years, and will probably work for another 25 before being replaced with a different halfway house solution.

A condominium is another potential solution, with hugely increased devolved powers close to independence overseen by joint authority with the joint authority having responsibility for human rights and foreign relations.

The condominium solution has been proposed and rejected in the past; I think it's likely a bit too, 'worst of both worlds' to pick up much support myself.

it won't be coming back.

britain is unreliable as we can see and can't be trusted right now at least.

a very very long road back for the UK before it could be trusted such that something like that could even be proposed, not that it would actually work in reality.

ultimately, reunification or remain in the union are the only options and remain in the union is and hasn't worked really with northern ireland being starved of investment and being the poorest region in the UK.