Northern Ireland

[Khandro]

Would you be sorry if it joined the Republic?
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1242994/boris-johnson-news-northern-ireland-united-brexit-julian-smith-sajid-javid-reshuffle

[Khandro]

But 56% of them voted to remain in the EU, wouldn't that make them happy?

[jim360]

Not so sure the other 44% would be impressed.

[Old_Geezer]

Not if it meant that the RoI was correcting their past error and rejoining the UK.
Disappointed if any part of the UK decides to sucede.

[jim360]

Our old French territories should return to the UK as well. Also Canada -- was a mistake for them ever to leave!

[Old_Geezer]

Possibly. All parts of the British Isles that have become outside the UK should consider being part of the UK again though.

[ToraToraTora]

Khandro: "But 56% of them voted to remain in the EU, wouldn't that make them happy? " - the brexit view would be secondary to the Prot v Catholic question.

[Ken4155]

It would be a very brave NI politician who suggested unification, imho. Plenty of people queueing up to remind said MP that their father/brother/uncle/cousin died to ensure NI remained part of the UK.

[jim360]

I think it's safe to say that the Irish considered it and comprehensively rejected that suggestion, OG.

[ichkeria]

Yes a wholly bizarre idea

[Old_Geezer]

All the more fool them.

[jourdain2]

To answer OP - yes; the trouble would be immeasurable, I have not read the link.. Because - can I ask if anyone else is finding it impossible to read links to the Express? For the last week I've never got past a headline, both here and on facebook. I gave it a good 4 mins. to allow it all to load this time, but still no cursor -nothing. :(

[Gromit]

There isn’t really any effect on Ireland now that would result in a United Ireland.
But if Brexit goes badly, and prosperity does not follow, then, the clamour for the advantage of NI returning to the EU, may make leaving the UK seem a good option for all Northern Irish, irrespective of religion.
It might be a quicker fix for NI to unify rather than waiting 15 years for the UK to rejoin the EU.
The economy of the next 5 years will be crucial whether the UK breaks up or not. We prosper, an the UK remains intact. If we do badly out of brexit then anything can happen. We will have to watch and hold our breaths.

[ichkeria]

The point about Brexit leading to a United (rather than “reunited” as Ireland has never been a united self governing entity) Ireland is more that the terms of the withdrawal agreement - and beyond - inevitably draw N Iran’s economically closer to the republic. Added to the fact that the republic is now viewed less as the priest-ridden potato republic it once was by Ulster Protestants due to social reforms.
I very much doubt there’d be major unrest in N Ireland and there is record theoretical support in the republic for unification.
But it would still be a pity IMO for an increasingly Brexit obsessed Westminster simply to fiddle while the various parts of the UK break away

[ichkeria]

I think it can safely be assumed that if the government pursues its current course then the UK will shrink appreciably in the coming few years.
Dominic Raab of course, very ironically, has talked up the advantages to N Ireland of having the “best of both worlds”
An advantage which oddly is to be denied to the rest of the UK

[ichkeria]

The UK “economy” will shrink, I meant to say

[Gromit]

Raab is definitely off-message in asserting NI will have the best of both worlds by having access to the EU at its borders.
I still don’t think they have any idea how to resolve the problem.

[sevenOP]

"There has been a century of..."

large undisclosed, and admitted, money poured into Northern Ireland and maybe Boris is looking at the financial aspects.

Sadly the problems there may be as seemingly intractable as in many ex-colonies and 'war zones'.

[ichkeria]

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/less-than-third-want-a-united-ireland-reveals-study-of-voters-38966196.html

[jno]

I remember a lot of talk 30 years ago about how the fall of the Berlin Wall certainly didn't mean that East and West Germany were about to reunite, perish the thought.

[THECORBYLOON]

If there were to be unification I wonder if Ulster legislation would apply there still?