Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma

So you and Spilit are 'we'.

Ok.

I had a good chuckle at the use of 'southerners' from an advocate of a UI. How more partitionist can you get!

Macrored is the epitome of the brilliantly portrayed treatment of Tommy Tiernan by the grandfather in Derry Girls, speaks common sense but is dismissed as a 'weak southern bastard'. Bottom line is after 100 years we are different.

The UI northern nationalists see as basically a we won the war noose to hang over unionists is not a view shared in the south.

Just an excuse for not putting together a plan. It is defaulting to the other parties approach (same way as the slow learners were on the go slow about peace).

A party really thrusting unity forward would have a plan. Just saying you’re a 32 county party and “prepare for unity” without actually doing anything on that is just waffle. Whatever about the kids who think Mary Lou will get them a gaffe, it is a special sort of delusion to hear earnest Republicans spout this rubbish.

At least FF did something tangible in their first decade after putting the guns down on the national question.

If you labour under the delusion that a single political party can come up with a plan why not find one that supports our constitutional aspiration to show you theirs?
oh wait!

I’m very open that we don’t have one because nobody wants to discuss the elephant in the room as regards the costs.

But that isn’t a reasonable excuse when you are putting yourself forward as the party of unity. SF should be willing to formulate a plan with scenario options to “win the debate”. The reason they won’t is because it will involve significant tax changes for people on both side’s of the border.

I had thought with Mary Lou that perhaps we’d see this. Her statements on the anthem and flag were timely- those are two things that I frankly think will be bigger obstacles for people in the south to accept than is realised. It never goes beyond that though.

That link really is quite woeful from SF. In 1918, whatever about the military aspects, the plans on the constitutional side were bould for the time. SF also had a raft of pamphlets over the years on things like how they would fund a new police force.

If you take Fianna Fáil in 1932, their platform was also bold on the national question. And they did not fear “negative” PR in the form of the Economic War in terms of achieving their aims. I wouldn’t have voted for them but I can see a movement that was vibrant, energetic and meant business.

We are 26 years on from the GFA. SF have absolutely no ideas on unity beyond waffle and slating any report that does not paint it as sunshines and rainbows. It’s basically reached what FF did after 20 odd years in power with none of the steps forward in between.

is there a Citizen’s Assembly equivalent in NI?

Nope- I expect like anything else though that you’ll put forward a plan on how you would do it.

If that’s your core issue, then you do it.

They won’t because of anything negativities around it.

How to finance the cost of a United Ireland is one elephant but , IMO, there is a second elephant ie does the south want to ‘inherit’ a society that is still very divided, ; a majority of it that would feel that it is ‘owed a living’ after having been ‘downtrodden ‘ for years, its policy , philosophy, ideology re security, justice, rights, etc; and comparing this to the way we think/operate in the ‘South’. So if the above is substantially the case would the South be prepared to thank on the ‘challenge/hassle/load’ at this point in time

It reminds me of another current situation ie . To the ‘untrained eye’ it beggars belief why NO COUNTRY is open to accepting refugees/asylum seekers from The West Bank or Gaza . These countries have proactively closed its boarders to them - especially Egypt. I understand the reason to be that ‘they would cause too much trouble’ this is definately the case with Jordan

They are quite entitled (as others not in SF have done too) to point out flaws and weaknesses in various studies. Studies that use as their starting point a subvention that needs to be found in full from the beginning, for example.

That's going to be part of the debate(is already if you are paying attention) and anything SF put forward will be open to the same criticism and scrutiny.

I don't know the taxation system in the north so difficult for me to comment fully on that. As for incomes, the minimum wage is higher in Ireland, average weekly earning are higher in Ireland. Businesses up North pay

As for scenarios to resolve issues, a gradually phased transition period over a number of years would help off-set any significant shocks that might come from an immediate change following a United Ireland.

Through rational debate, these issues can be resolved imo. The problem is, no one wants rational debate. Especially not FG and the government parties. As the majority of FG supporters don't even want a UI they, imo, will deliberately stiffle and undermine rational debate on a UI. It's already happening.

A UI requires the government of Ireland to take leadership on the issue and to promote and encourage rational debate. That won't ever happen with FG in Government imo.