Brexit – Page 10 – Slugger O'Toole

The impact of Brexit on Health in Northern Ireland…

Robert Campbell on September 3, 2019, 7:51 pm

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Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg was on Nick Ferrari’s LBC show on Monday 2 September; he was taking phone calls. Dr David Nicholl, a consultant neurologist, called to ask what mortality rates could be expected in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Dr Nicholl wrote the relevant mitigation part in the Operation Yellowhammer document. Rees-Mogg has been characterised in the past as having quite exquisite politeness, extreme almost to farce. He wasn’t at all polite to the caller, saying that this was …

Civic society groups launch a campaign opposing a No Deal Brexit outcome

David McCann on September 2, 2019, 11:05 am

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Civic society groups from across a range of sectors in Northern Ireland have launched a campaign opposing a No Deal Brexit outcome. The No To No Deal campaign, which already has the support of several trade unions, NGO’s, charities and umbrella bodies, is calling on the UK Government to avoid a No Deal given what they see as the dire consequences of such an outcome for Northern Ireland. The campaign, which launched on Monday 2nd September, is asking civic society …

There just has to be a compromise over the backstop, for all our sakes.

Brian Walker on September 1, 2019, 5:23 pm

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Ulster University campus. A new face of Belfast Taking bracing walks in west Donegal and in and around Belfast for three weeks without much sight of the political news does wonders for the perspective. Not for the first time, I experienced severe doubts about the relevance of the noise of politics to the rhythms of real life. I’m old enough to marvel still how the near Republic has caught up with the North in prosperity and appearance. The border towns …

Is Brexit A Rerun of the 1930s?

Gerry Lynch on August 30, 2019, 10:28 am

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We’re living through a rerun of the 1930s. It must be so, because everyone on my social media timeline tells me so. It seems to be taken as a given that Britain, like all Western societies, is a seething pit of racist, authoritarian, sentiment, itching for an undemocratic strongman to overthrow democracy and civil liberties. So, on the subject of Brexit, the Left and the Right, Leavers and Remainers, all fear the Tommy Robinsons and the Wall of Gammon that turns up at …

This isn’t a coup. We should still be concerned and angry.

Sarah Creighton on August 29, 2019, 12:02 pm

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Boris Johnson set off a political earthquake when he asked the Queen to prorogue parliament on the 28th August. There have been huge protests in London. Opposition MPs are demanding meetings with the Queen. The Speaker has issued a statement calling Johnson’s decision a “a constitutional outrage.” Many people will be cheering Boris Johnson on. Others will be frightened and scared at what lies ahead. It’s the reason why many are referring to the current situation as a coup. When …

Party Leaders reactions to Prorogation of Parliament

David McCann on August 28, 2019, 5:27 pm

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The SDLP Leader, Colum Eastwood; Proroguing your parliament to enforce the will of a government that has no democratic legitimacy for an act that has no majority support is the behaviour of a tin-pot dictator. Boris Johnson has stepped far outside the acceptable norms for a functioning democracy and he must be reined in. “This is a moment for political courage. Every MP should take a stand in this moment, to defend the interests of people across these islands but …

McDonald; Today’s move by the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demonstrates his clear intent to force through a no-deal Brexit

David McCann on August 28, 2019, 5:21 pm

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Sinn Fein President, Mary Lou McDonald “Today’s move by the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demonstrates his clear intent to force through a no-deal Brexit, regardless of the consequences for Ireland; north or south. “It shows the arrogance of the British government and their contempt even for their own political institutions and it is very clear that Irish interests will never be protected at Westminster. “The fact is that Brexit is incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement and the Tories …

Foster; We welcome the decision to hold a Queen’s Speech marking the start of a new session of Parliament

David McCann on August 28, 2019, 5:10 pm

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DUP Leader, Arlene Foster; “This has been the longest Parliamentary Session since the Union of England and Scotland in 1707. We welcome the decision to hold a Queen’s Speech marking the start of a new session of Parliament on 14 October where the Government will set out its new domestic legislative agenda. As outlined in the Confidence and Supply Agreement in 2017, the terms of that Agreement will also be reviewed in advance of the new Session. We originally envisaged …

Is Northern Ireland Spiralling out of Control?

Claire Mitchell on August 25, 2019, 9:06 pm

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There has never been so much consensus in Northern Ireland. There has never been so much discord. The guy who cuts our trees thinks we’re Catholic, as we send our kids to the local Catholic school. We’re not (we’re Lundies). We think he’s Protestant, because of his name and the fact that we live in majority Protestant area. Last week, I was surprised to hear my husband drop a ‘Londonderry’ into the conversation – I assume to make the tree …

49 MLAs send letter to Tusk backing the backstop

David McCann on August 22, 2019, 12:27 pm

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Dear Mr Tusk, The proposed date of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, 31 October, is fast approaching. As leaders of local political parties who represent the cross-community majority who voted to remain in the EU we have grave concerns about the current trajectory toward a no-deal Brexit and the impact this would have on our economy, our border and community cohesion. An analysis carried out by the Northern Ireland Civil Service has predicted job losses in the region …

Don’t underestimate him. Boris Johnson is making a powerful appeal by defying party traditions, but at the expense of the Union

Brian Walker on August 11, 2019, 11:26 am

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Brian WalkerFormer BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London

Johnson and Corbyn will compete for power by selling out the Union

Brian Walker on August 7, 2019, 7:00 am

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All the hooh- hah from Polly Toynbee and others about forming a government of national unity to stop No Deal – forget it. Boris Johnson won’t even have to bother committing the constitutional crime my constitutional expert friends have been deploring. It’ll never get to that. Their best hope now is a general election but one called pretty much on Johnson’s terms and timing. Robert Peston’s trenchant piece saves me the bother of explaining. It’s so good I quote it …

Deal with disadvantage before unity, argues Senator Mark Daly

Paul Gosling on August 5, 2019, 7:01 am

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To achieve a united Ireland without a return to conflict requires northern society to resolve the problems of its communities that contain deep-seated deprivation and alienation, argues Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly. Mark is the former chair of the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Implementation Committee and was interviewed for the latest Forward Together podcast shortly after the release of his report, ‘Returning to violence as a result of a hard border due to Brexit or a rushed border poll: risks …

An all-Ireland agri -food zone is old news and a sign of desperation. But first….

Brian Walker on August 4, 2019, 3:45 pm

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Let’s start on a happier note. – Leo’s appearance at Belfast Gay Pride in which he tactfully avoided grandstanding in his brief few words. “I had a real honour today to walk with Lord Hayward, who, along with Conor McGinn, put the legislation through the Commons and Lords to bring about marriage equality here in a few months’ time. So we really want to thank them. “What we see today in Belfast is Northern Ireland at its very best. Open, …

A real test for Boris Johnson. Will he convene the Intergovernmental Council at a time when an open breach over Brexit seems imminent?

Brian Walker on July 31, 2019, 6:53 pm

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We are in worse confusion over Brexit than anything in modern times, short of total breakdown and conflict. On one side there is a withdrawal agreement that will never pass this House of Commons. On the other there is the persistence with a backstop that threatens an outcome it is designed to prevent. This is not a rational situation. And yet the train is on course to hit the buffers. Boris Johnson will have satisfied himself that he has gone …

Expand ‘community planning’ and focus on wellbeing, urges McGinley

Paul Gosling on July 29, 2019, 7:01 am

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Community planning provides a model that builds on the tradition of the “very strong community spirit that prevailed in Northern Ireland” during the Troubles, argues Aideen McGinley in the latest Forward Trust podcast. McGinley is a trustee of Carnegie UK, co-chair of its embedding wellbeing project in Northern Ireland and a former senior civil servant. Aideen stresses that we need to be positive rather than fearful as we look to the future. “The bottom line is that people do not …

No Deal myths exploded and need for Direct Rule is confirmed in major report

Brian Walker on July 29, 2019, 6:59 am

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The authoritative Institute for Government has blasted most of the claims made for a No Deal strategy. In a new report it confirms the pressure on the Union and the need for Direct Rule. The head of NI civil service David Sterling recently addressed the institute and a leading member visited Belfast before issuing this report. The Union will come under unprecedented pressure: Johnson may well find that having left one political union, he spends an increasing proportion of his …

A clear Boris Johnson majority could be in Northern Ireland’s interests. What are the chances?

Brian Walker on July 28, 2019, 11:43 pm

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Planning for No Deal is the government’s No 1 priority, says Michael Gove. “So we need a new approach and a different relationship. Critically, we need to abolish the backstop and ensure we find a different way to handle trade, and other important relations, on the island of Ireland”. Some ERG hardliners would oppose a deal even if it eliminated the backstop. They sense a trap in alleged talk of EU concessions and plots around every corner in Whitehall, according …

As the threat of No Deal looms, the rhetoric is becoming raw

Brian Walker on July 26, 2019, 10:12 pm

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A century ago, two European states which talked like this at each other might have been on the brink of war. Without pushing it too far there is a tiny echo here of big bully Austria-Hungary leaning on little Serbia in the hot summer of 1914. (It will be remembered in the end Austria-Hungary imploded and Serbia expanded). Now no one of course is contemplating such a drastic breakdown. But how tragic and infuriating it is to be eating into …

Julian Smith’s role – to keep the DUP happy and step up plans for No Deal including direct rule

Brian Walker on July 25, 2019, 7:00 am

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Boris Johnson being ” clapped in” by staff on entering No 10 Julian Smith may not be a household name in Northern Ireland but his name resounds in every Conservative MP’s household and generally throughout Westminster. He was Theresa May’s last chief whip tasked with trying and failing three times to pass her withdrawal agreement. Bemoaning the scale of his task, he told the BBC’s Laura Kunnesberg in April.. that when his party failed to get a majority in the …