EU – Page 35 – Slugger O'Toole

So it turns out the UK’s economic record was pretty average even before Brexit…

Brian O'Neill on April 9, 2017, 12:21 pm

| Readers 2846

Interesting report by the Centre for European Reform, BREXIT BRITAIN: THE POOR MAN OF WESTERN EUROPE? Contrary to what many would have you believe the UK economy is not exactly the dynamic powerhouse they make it out to be. Some details from the report: The UK has economic strengths, such as a flexible labour market, which ensures that unemployment is low even in many of its economically struggling regions. But contrary to much of the received wisdom, Britain has not been one …

Left to themselves, the parties won’t agree. The time has come for the governments to bring forward solutions which involve the people directly

Brian Walker on April 9, 2017, 11:11 am

| Readers 1806

Observed from London, the political atmosphere at home is surreal. The volume of comment on the talks is in inverse proportion to hard information. Expectations of agreement by Good Friday are so low that the local media can barely be roused from torpor. Emergency action for feeding the Stormont cats occupied more space in the Belfast Telegraph the other day. Further emergency action to fund the regional government must be taken within a week followed by the crunch decision to …

“Ireland has already won more power than any Gibraltar veto, it just needs to decide what to do with it… “

Mick Fealty on April 7, 2017, 4:27 pm

| Readers 2351

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

Bertie Ahern the voice of sanity on a border poll and Brexit

Brian Walker on April 6, 2017, 11:21 pm

| Readers 3037

It’s the prerogative of elder statesman to tell it as it is without looking over their shoulder at the opposition inside and outside their own party. Bertie Ahern gave a reminder of just how good he could be. He spoke the language of stability in the fevered atmosphere of Leinster House. Micheal Martin please note. Speaking in the Seanad: The last thing I want out of Brexit, the last thing, the very last thing, is anyone on about border polls. …

If no one wants a hard border, who on earth is going to give us one?

Mick Fealty on April 6, 2017, 5:58 pm

| Readers 1782

Hard to know which of Newton Emerson’s Thursday columns to blog each week, but I think the one in the Irish News carries a couple of important points that some have been (deliberately?) blinding themselves to. First, he points out that there is no party integral to these talks who wants a hard border of the sort being hyped at the moment: At the end of last week, the prospect of a hard border in Ireland suddenly receded, with the European Parliament and Council …

What Reward for Gibraltar’s “Loyalty”?

Nat O'Connor on April 6, 2017, 5:48 pm

| Readers 1375

On page 8 of the EU’s draft negotiating guidelines, Gibraltar is mentioned as follows: ‘After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.’ A spokesperson for No. 10 Downing Street said today ‘The PM made clear that, on the subject of Gibraltar, the UK’s position had not changed: the UK would seek the best possible deal …

Trading Partners Wanted: Looking at Georgia…

Neale Richmond on April 1, 2017, 8:55 am

| Readers 814

As it stands, Ireland’s largest trading partner is the United Kingdom. This has been the case since Independence although the balance has shifted greatly since Ireland entered the EEC in 1973 with the UK no longer wholly dominate although our reliance on the UK in certain sectors such as beef, timber, pork and much more. As Ireland’s reliance on the UK as a trading partner has diminished, it has been able to look to a wider market largely thanks to …

Will Spain demand Gibraltar back as part of a Brexit deal?

Brian O'Neill on March 31, 2017, 3:35 pm

| Readers 3179

As I understand it all 27 EU member countries have to agree to any trade deal with the UK. As you can imagine many see this as an opportunity to screw a deal out of the UK. One long-running dispute is Spain wanting their territory of Gibraltar back. The Guardian reports: The EU has put the future of Gibraltar at stake in the coming Brexit negotiations, effectively backing Spain in its centuries-old dispute with the UK over the British overseas territory. After lobbying …

Special Status for the ROI in the EU?

Nat O'Connor on March 31, 2017, 11:09 am

| Readers 1772

In my post on whether Northern Ireland could stay in or have “special status” in the EU, I concluded that at the very least Northern Ireland does already have special status because everyone has the option of taking up an EU (Irish) passport. I’m now considering whether Brexit may also result in EU “special status” for the Republic. To be clear, this is a think-piece, not a proposal. I’m ruling out the Republic of Ireland actually leaving the EU, as its economy is …

Brexit has predictably dire effects for Northern Ireland

Soapbox on March 31, 2017, 10:29 am

| Readers 4972

Forget Theresa May’s boilerplate encomium in the Commons the other day about never being ‘neutral’ about the Union. (Hardly as emphatic as Margaret Thatcher’s claim Northern Ireland was ‘as British as Finchley’). The Prime Minister is leading you up the garden path. She surely knows by now that Brexit has big implications – dire and far-reaching ones – for Northern Ireland. Here’s eight of them: A funding black hole. All in, Northern Ireland draws down about €600m euro of funding …

Slugger’s video round up of views from around the UK regions and Ireland…

Mick Fealty on March 30, 2017, 5:26 pm

| Readers 695

Lots to take in the day after Article 50 was triggered. I’ve been busy trying to roster up videos which contain various viewpoints from within the UK and Ireland. The first being a very useful interview of Theresa May by Andrew Neil: The David Davin Power on maneuvers with the Taoiseach in Malta where Enda Kenny was attending an EPP conference… Then here’s our local guys kicking things around in two separate rounds… The Newsline report from last night has …

Theresa May’s warm words for Ireland do little to calm Irish fears about the implications of Brexit

Brian Walker on March 30, 2017, 8:49 am

| Readers 1197

A special version for Ireland of Theresa May’s letter to the EU president triggering Art 50 has appeared above her name in the Irish Times. It extends the same tone of friendly conciliation to Ireland as to the whole of the EU. We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe – and we want to remain committed partners and allies of Ireland and all our friends across the continent. The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland have …

Revealing interview with Gerry Adams on Stormont talks (includes that ‘complete tube’ comment)…

Mick Fealty on March 29, 2017, 10:12 pm

| Readers 4550

This is well worth paying attention to. It’s Gerry Adams getting a grilling from an exceptionally well informed Cormac O’hEadhra of RTE on Northern Irish matters (here), the Stormont collapse and the lack of a senior voice for Irish nationalism in Stormont. misrepresents the RHI losses from, at the very worst, a projected £500m over 20 years to £5billion (!!!!) “down the drain”. Given RHI is cited as the reason for SF collapsing the Executive, shouldn’t the President know the …

RTE Prime Time: UK’s invocation of Article 50 puts Ireland in a double bind…

Mick Fealty on March 29, 2017, 5:41 pm

| Readers 1989

Last night Prime Time on RTE ran this little piece on Brexit and what it might mean for Ireland (ie, the Republic). The found two former Irish diplomats to take opposing views of how it should be played. But in truth Ireland is in a tough place, either way. If the British cannot control the outcomes, it’s even more difficult for the Irish government who although they will be inputting into the EU are only one out of 27. They …

Time to stop talking, start doing. Leaving the EU could be a good time to reshape the NI economy.

thedissenter on March 29, 2017, 11:33 am

| Readers 908

Jeff Peel has already made the case for welcoming the opportunities that Brexit offers Northern Ireland business. Elsewhere on Slugger, the implications of Brexit and decisions to be made by the Republic have been outlined. Following the decision of the UK electorate on 23 June 2016 to leave the EU, the Government of the United Kingdom has undertaken a great deal of work to prepare the country for triggering Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Not so much our own …

Theresa May misconstrues the Union as an English commonwealth. Instead, the best hope for “these islands” is to weather the storms of Brexit together

Brian Walker on March 28, 2017, 9:44 am

| Readers 2303

Theresa May’s tour of the devolved territories ( I wish we had a better collective noun) turned out to be a jaw- droppingly empty gesture, quite apart from the inevitable omission of Belfast. Her semi-clandestine meeting with Nicola Sturgeon in a Glasgow hotel yesterday was a stiff little ritual to confirm that Article 50 was being triggered today on behalf of the whole UK, Scotland naturally included. There was no pretence at accommodating the SNP. Indeed there may even be …

Theresa May gives the vacuum locked NI Assembly a miss on her pre Article 50 tour…

Mick Fealty on March 27, 2017, 7:14 pm

| Readers 1363

In a long report about Theresa May’s visit to Scotland to meet Nicola Sturgeon, RTE reports… British Prime Minister Theresa May will not visit Northern Ireland before the triggering of Article 50 on Wednesday. Mrs May had been expected to visit all of the devolved assemblies before formally notifying the European Union later this week of the UK’s plan to leave the bloc. Note that Northern Ireland is already back in its customary second or third section of RTE’s flagship 6.01 …

Gerry Adams invokes the fresh memory of Martin McGuinness and issues an ultimatum on the talks

Brian Walker on March 23, 2017, 1:04 am

| Readers 3570

“Sinn Fein opposed to any extension of Stormont talks ahead of Monday’s deadline – ‘We will bury our friend tomorrow and move directly from his graveside to do our utmost to get Assembly restored’ Speaking in Newry on the eve of Martin McGuinness’s funeral, the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has been talking the talk of ultimatums. Lest anyone thinks Sinn Fein has been distracted this week, he disabuses them of the idea that the immediate period of mourning for …

Theresa May challenged over her “tin ear” to the interests of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Brian Walker on March 20, 2017, 9:04 am

| Readers 1669

Theresa May is in Swansea today at the start of a four nation tour to the devolved administrations , declaring; “I want every part of the United Kingdom to be able to make the most of the opportunities ahead.” As the Guardian reports she’ll face demands from the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones to radically rethink her approach to the union. as she begins a four-nation tour before beginning Britain’s exit from the EU “Theresa May to visit Wales as …

Mixed polling results leave it all to play for in the May v Sturgeon battle over Scottish independence

Brian Walker on March 19, 2017, 2:03 pm

| Readers 928

The war of words between Nicola Sturgeon and Theresa May might been expected to boost Scottish support for Indyref2 and independence. If so it hasn’t happened yet. The first snapshot of a Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times coinciding with the SNP spring conference but before Nicola Surgeon spoke is not immediately encouraging for her, with NO to independence recording at 56% and YES at 44%. However 44% still thought Scotland would become independent within the next 5-10 years compared …