Brexit – Page 37 – Slugger O'Toole

People Before Profit to campaign against “Tory-Brexit”

David McCann on April 28, 2017, 12:16 pm

| Readers 2368

Interesting article from the Irish News Political Correspondent, John Manley on the People Before Profit MLA and Westminster candidate, Gerry Carroll’s views on Brexit. From the article Many commentators attributed the decline in the People Before Profit representative’s vote to his pro-Brexit stance. But now Mr Carroll has said he will fight the general election on an “anti-Tory Brexit” ticket. He told The Irish News his party was as opposed to “Theresa May’s Tory Brexit” as it was to the …

The EU summit’s declaration on a united Ireland exposes British isolation

Brian Walker on April 28, 2017, 10:11 am

| Readers 2838

EU prepares for post-Brexit united Ireland membership Summit endorsement would raise fears over fragmentation of UK The Financial Times is getting excited about today’s EU summit endorsing special treatment for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations and raises “ fears for the fragmentation of the UK “ The Irish Times political editor Stephen Collins is equally excited that a declaration on Ireland gives Enda Kenny the dignified farewell he’s been seeking. What does it amount to? The Irish Times gives a …

It’s all a bit of a mess

Sara McCracken on April 28, 2017, 6:55 am

| Readers 543

I decided to get over my FOMO and steer clear of social media when I was off for a week over Easter. Given I hadn’t heard any news or picked up a newspaper I allowed myself two minutes on Twitter – only to find that we were heading for yet another election. Seriously Mrs May! I love an election and exercising my hard-won democratic right to vote as much as the next person, but further polarising the country is not …

Another curious Brexit side effect. Companies may get grants to move jobs out of the UK…

Brian O'Neill on April 27, 2017, 3:40 pm

| Readers 4642

Nestlé has announced that they are to axe 300 UK jobs and move Blue Riband biscuit production to Poland. More than likely this is about cost saving and has nothing to do with Brexit but it does introduce some interesting questions. Under EU rules member countries are not allowed to give subsidies that encourage companies to move jobs from one member state to another. So in the Nestlé example, Poland could not give grants to Nestlé. You can only grant …

John Bruton; “The terms for Brexit, as set out so far by Mrs May, will do incalculable damage to this island, politically, emotionally and economically”

David McCann on April 27, 2017, 11:44 am

| Readers 1070

Some interesting evidence from former Taoiseach, John Bruton today; “While I believe it may seem impossibly optimistic today, I believe conditions can be envisaged in which, eventually, the UK voters might either decide, either not to leave the EU at all, or to decide, after it has left, to rejoin. Ireland should try to keep that possibility alive. “The terms for Brexit, as set out so far by Mrs May, will do incalculable damage to this island, politically, emotionally and …

Is Northern Ireland’s cross-community case against Brexit trundling off to hell in handcart?

Mick Fealty on April 27, 2017, 11:25 am

| Readers 882

So is this election about Brexit? In fact, it is much more about each of the parties and their direct needs. Mrs May, seemingly unassailable in England and Wales is using it to break back into Scotland, and it will double nicely as that second referendum the Blairites have been calling for. The 48% will become considerably less than it has been since the election. In Northern Ireland, the demise of the majority Remain opinion is almost assured. Brian Feeney thinks …

The republic is pointing the way to solving the health care crisis throughout the island

Brian Walker on April 27, 2017, 10:34 am

| Readers 989

Here I join Mick in commending Newton Emerson for giving a new twist to a familiar theme. He describes a linkage between a religious ethos north and south and a lack of resources not due to funding alone, that stands in the way of providing a better health service. In the republic a partial solution has been reached for transferring the National Maternity Hospital to a new 300m euro building on the St Vincent’s Hospital campus. The governing …

Brexit (in the short term) re-engineers the environment around Scotland’s political trilemma

Mick Fealty on April 25, 2017, 6:26 pm

| Readers 1420

Brexit is changing the terms under which the UK’s internal politics are played. If you thought it could only drive Scotland out of the UK let me re-introduce Dani Rodrik‘s Political Trilemma: …economic globalization, political democracy, and the nation-state are mutually irreconcilable. We can have at most two at one time. Democracy is compatible with national sovereignty only if we restrict globalization. If we push for globalization while retaining the nation-state, we must jettison democracy. And if we want democracy along …

Agnew pulls the plug on a Pro-Remain Pact

David McCann on April 25, 2017, 12:59 pm

| Readers 3082

The wheels have finally come off the wagon for a pact between the pro-Remain forces as the Green Party Leader, Steven Agnew has said his party will not be joining any pact with any other parties. The North Down MLA said: “The Green Party will not enter into a pact for the forthcoming Westminster election. “The decision has followed discussion amongst party members and our party Executive. We also met with the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the UUP as parties …

Signs of dramatic Tory revival causes new headache for Sturgeon’s Indyref 2 strategy

Brian Walker on April 23, 2017, 1:32 pm

| Readers 2504

From the Sunday Times £ SNP set to lose 11 seats according to shock poll The Panelbase survey of 1,029 voters in Scotland — the first Scottish poll since Theresa May called a snap election — points to a surge in support that would take the Conservatives to 33%, up 18 points from two years ago. It amounts to their strongest showing north of the border since the days of Sir Edward Heath’s government in the 1970s before the steep …

The problem with the Lib Dems’ anti-Brexit strategy

Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) on April 23, 2017, 10:51 am

| Readers 1371

The snap General Election called for June 2017 would appear to be a significant opportunity for the Liberal Democrats. In contrast with Labour’s mixed messages on Brexit, the Lib Dems are offering a much clearer stance on Brexit, positioning themselves as the party who will stop a hard Brexit and keep the UK in the single market. Could this year’s election provide an opportunity for the Lib Dems to become the party to speak for the 48% of the UK …

Effects of #Brexit are likely to challenge every single party in Britain, bar the Tories…

Mick Fealty on April 22, 2017, 7:39 am

| Readers 1280

Now, take this British Election Survey with a modicum of salt. Particularly the visual graphics which, if you read them too directly, can be misleading. It’s complex, but the detail tells an interesting story. This is the tenth wave of a big survey with massive sample sizes that go way beyond the average polls. According to the notes: 7,351 respondents took all of the first 10 waves of the survey, 24.3% of respondents who originally took wave 1. Wave 10 was conducted by YouGov …

Border-o-meter

Nat O'Connor on April 21, 2017, 6:14 pm

| Readers 2380

There has been a lot of talk about trying to avoid a “hard” border post-Brexit, and to preserve the open, free movement of people in the Common Travel Area. So I thought I’d look for some kind of scale of border “hardness”, which really means what degree of openness exists between two countries. The World Economic Forum has come up with metrics for how disruptive borders are to travel and trade. As part of their annual Enabling Trade Report, the WEF recently …

The Way Forward for Cooperation between Pro-Remain Parties?

David McCann on April 20, 2017, 3:08 pm

| Readers 2354

This could be a watershed election, in the local context it could be the most important at a Westminster level since 1918. Northern Ireland holds just 18 out of 650 MPs and even in a hung parliament environment it can be difficult to get gain traction. What we lack in voting power, we have a potential to make up for in a strong signal being sent by the wider electorate. The dynamics of the race here are actually relatively simple, …

Out of respect to the voters, the governments and parties must spell out in detail where they stand on the Assembly by next week. Otherwise the election is an insult to democracy.

Brian Walker on April 20, 2017, 11:04 am

| Readers 936

Although only one of 13 MPs to deny Theresa May the green light for calling a Westminster general election, Mark Durkan MP surely got it right for Northern Ireland. I was not asking for an election last week or the week before; I was arguing that any move to an election in the near future would not help the negotiations in Northern Ireland. My mind has not changed, so why should I pretend that it has? Of course, this …

Eastwood “We’re open to any discussion about how we can protect the remain vote in Northern Ireland”

David McCann on April 19, 2017, 4:48 pm

| Readers 3536

Chris had an excellent post up today about the possibility of having a Pro Remain Alliance for the upcoming election. At Stormont today, the SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood had some very interesting comments which are worth noting We don’t do sectarian pacts between two parties to keep out one community. We’re open to any discussion about how we can protect the remain vote in Northern Ireland, about how we can fight against the anti-Europe MPs and how we can protect …

So how will Purdah and Brexit mix in the upcoming elections/negotiations?

Mick Fealty on April 18, 2017, 1:56 pm

| Readers 1051

A short follow-on thought from the post before (via my old friend David Steven)… Purdah and Brexit. Discuss. — David Steven (@davidsteven) April 18, 2017 If you’re not sure what Purdah means, try this… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Brexit means “Business as usual” for Donegal Tourism

David McCann on April 14, 2017, 11:15 am

| Readers 1682

Earlier in the week, I ventured out West to Gweedore in County Donegal with a few journalists/bloggers to visit the town and see some of the local sights. Yet one issue that was on my mind was Brexit. We have heard many business leaders North and South give their views over the past year about the UK leaving the European Union & the possible economic consequences for many industries locally, particularly tourism. Gweedore is less than 50 miles from the …

Brexit bites as EU workers start to say screw you UK we are outa here…

Brian O'Neill on April 11, 2017, 1:05 pm

| Readers 5547

time to move on

If there is one advantage to having kids it is that it does increase your circle of friends. Humans need social contact, especially when going through the misery joy of having your first child. We compare notes with other parents, we sympathise when they tell you their baby is not sleeping even though inside we are delighted that at least our kid is not as bad as there’s. We force a smile when another parent tells us how their little …

Monday Cartoon: At last, Brexit is triggered…

Kyle Patterson on April 10, 2017, 6:25 am

| Readers 1083

Kyle PattersonCurrently studying for a software development MSc at Queen’s University, Belfast. I also draw political cartoons. Find me on the internet: Twitter: @TheAuthority88 Facebook: facebook.com/KylePattersonCartoonist/