Northern Ireland General Discussion

[CumbrianLefty]

There is talk that "this time, it might be different" - but I will believe it when I see it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There is talk that "this time, it might be different" - but I will believe it when I see it.

Especially as they said that the last, what, three times? Or four?

[afleitch]

Catholics running the country Brexit border issues are a huge stumbling block. The only solution is to have elections where Unionists win resolve this. Then power-sharing can be reestablished until Irish language polices are a convenient excuse to suspend it

[LabourJersey]

There is talk that "this time, it might be different" - but I will believe it when I see it.

Zeno's Paradox, power sharing edition!

[Torrain]

DUP executive is meeting at 7pm tonight, to decide whether to approve the latest iteration of the Stormont deal. Notable because Donaldson had briefed that they wouldn’t convene a meeting like this until there was essentially a finalised deal.

[Torrain]

DUP meeting descending into farce:
https://twitter.com/SJAMcBride/status/1752055898971779372

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Postmodern clown-car stuff, just surreal.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's fun to be old enough to find vicious irony in 'Jeffrey Donaldson suffers through hellish late-night meeting due to hardliners who will not compromise'.

[LabourJersey]

This is the first time I've heard of Jamie Bryson.

I was better off not knowing Jamie Bryson.

[Frodo]

Northern Ireland's DUP strikes deal to return to power-sharing government

[Torrain]

Kudos where it’s due - if Donaldson gets this through, he’ll get a modicum of respect from me, despite the chaos and wilful carelessness of the past few years.

Long way still to go, though…

[LabourJersey]

Donaldson is claiming that this deal  "will remove checks for goods moving within the UK and remaining in Northern Ireland, and guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the UK market"

How would this work, if NI is part of the single market/has no hard border? Is this lip service? Is the hard border back on?

[CumbrianLefty]

Will hold my hands up and admit my scepticism about this happening now may have been in error

[YL]

Donaldson is claiming that this deal  "will remove checks for goods moving within the UK and remaining in Northern Ireland, and guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the UK market"

How would this work, if NI is part of the single market/has no hard border? Is this lip service? Is the hard border back on?

Given that Sinn Féin say that they, the Irish government and the EU are all happy, I doubt there's a hard border in there, but I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow for more information.

[patzer]

Donaldson is claiming that this deal  "will remove checks for goods moving within the UK and remaining in Northern Ireland, and guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the UK market"

How would this work, if NI is part of the single market/has no hard border? Is this lip service? Is the hard border back on?

To my knowledge it's a case of the UK government pledging to not engage in any regulatory divergence with the EU

[Torrain]

Hopefully this is just Wilson moaning (which is his default), and not the start of something coordinated from the hardliners:
https://twitter.com/eastantrimmp/status/1752745805256052937

In better news, it sounds like the louder brexiteers will wave it through if there's a Commons vote held on the deal - Rees-Mogg and even Bill Cash seem to be making positive noises, which suggests any rebellion would mirror the Windsor Framework vote, with a dozen Tories against, at most.

[Frodo]

Now they are providing a bit more detail as to what exactly this deal entails:

DUP deal aimed at restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland is published

[EastAnglianLefty]

Hopefully this is just Wilson moaning (which is his default), and not the start of something coordinated from the hardliners:
https://twitter.com/eastantrimmp/status/1752745805256052937

In better news, it sounds like the louder brexiteers will wave it through if there's a Commons vote held on the deal - Rees-Mogg and even Bill Cash seem to be making positive noises, which suggests any rebellion would mirror the Windsor Framework vote, with a dozen Tories against, at most.

Wilson is going out of his way to say nice things about Donaldson, which wasn't a given. Taking a shot at Sunak is a free hit without much political significance, so he's taking as conciliatory a stance as could be expected.

We'll wait and see if Nigel Dodds is similarly forgiving.

[Frodo]

Stormont will be back in session by Saturday:

DUP gives green light for restoration of Stormont devolution on Saturday

[CumbrianLefty]

For the first time, with a nationalist First Minister.

Whatever else happens, that is a very significant historical moment.

[Torrain]

Couple of notes as Stormont reforms.

The ministerial briefs are appointed in a sort of round robin (vaguely reminiscent of an NFL with Belfast accents), and while the shared positions are supposed to be worked out in advance, Sinn Fein have alleged that the DUP blindsided them with one pick on the day - which the DUP deny.

DUP took the education brief, leaving Sinn Fein to pick up Finance, which appears to be a move to take a more active role in the Irish language schools culture war, while letting SF take more of the blame for the imminent cuts expected.

Also - swirling speculation that Jeffrey Donaldson may stand down at this years general election, and take a Lords seat, knackered after the intraparty drama and wrangling he’s had to do, along with threats from loyalists that he’s spoken quite emotionally about in the Commons.

This would let the Deputy First Minister, who’s essentially his protege, seek election to his safe Commons seat. Particularly beneficial for her, given she was essentially handpicked by him for the seat, and ’co-opted’ rather than directly elected, which has triggered some grumbling about an ‘unelected’ politician co-running the executive.

Also somewhat noteworthy, given NI’s approach to social issues - Andrew Muir (Alliance) has been appointed Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, becoming the first openly-LGBT minister in the history of the Northern Ireland Executive.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Though if Little-Pengelly does run for Westminster, then the DUP will need to find a new DFM.

[CumbrianLefty]

Well yes, does she really want to give up the role that soon?

[Frodo]

Doesn't sound too dissimilar from the experiences of American colonialists when they visited the mother country prior to the war for independence:

The most effective cure for Northern Irish unionism? Attitudes in England

[LabourJersey]

Doesn't sound too dissimilar from the experiences of American colonialists when they visited the mother country prior to the war for independence:

The most effective cure for Northern Irish unionism? Attitudes in England

This is the saddest part (or most pitiful part) of Unionism for me; the NI unionist community are so deeply loyal to a people that by and large do not care about them. At all.

Though admittedly, you could also say that the ROI doesn't particularly care about them, either.