EU

Gordon Brown storms in with a “third option” for Scotland and the UK. The ideal compromise, or too much, too late?

| Readers 1531

  Churn over Theresa May’s flat refusal to allow Indy ref 2 continues unabated. The reality of identity politics is proving a lot more complicated than the dream. The big move today is Gordon Brown’s “third option” of a federalising UK  of which more in a moment. But first a verdict on yesterday. May was caught short by Sturgeon springing the referendum demand on her. Did  the prime minister  over-react in haste and did she have only herself to blame …

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Could Northern Ireland remain in or closer to the EU post-Brexit?

| Readers 1623

At Monday lunchtime in next week’s Belfast Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics, I will be hosting a session: Could Northern Ireland be an independent member of the EU, or have “special status”. I thought it was important to have a forum during the festival for people to discuss the EU. I’m not pushing any particular outcome, but I will present the case for taking this seriously—and what realistic options are available. I’m hoping that those in attendance will have plenty to say …

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Gerry Adams ups the ante on Unity, just as it comes under fresh critical examination

| Readers 3463

 Gerry Adams knows  exactly  how to deploy  sweet reasonableness as a weapon and end up  with a perfect circle of  obstruction. He had had several “businesslike, friendly engagements” with DUP leader Arlene Foster since the talks began, and he had “no reason to doubt” she was innocent of accusations over the “cash for ash” Renewable Heat Initiative which precipitated this month’s Northern Assembly election. However, the affair needed to be “properly scrutinised”. Why block a resolution of the impasse if …

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Theresa May’s fightback to support the Union through Brexit is only work in progress. The Irish are creating a benign vision of a United Ireland. Do the British want to match it?

| Readers 2721

The imminence of triggering Article 50 has at last woken up the British government to the reality of the threat to the Union. In a reported forthcoming tour of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to explain a negotiating  position that has seemed to ignore them,  propping up support for her “beloved Union” has become  Theresa May’s priority. Her first line of defence  will be  to  convince the massed ranks of critics that a “hard Brexit” is a misnomer which  does …

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“If I ruled out a referendum, I would be deciding that Scotland will follow the UK to a hard Brexit…”

| Readers 2664

The political gamble of Ms Sturgeon’s life, or so says Alex Massie in the Spectator. Well, maybe. She hasn’t actually called anything yet, just flagged her intention to do so within a set timeframe. However… Brexit, she confirmed, has changed everything. Before the EU referendum she had accepted there could be no grounds for a second referendum unless or until such time as there was evidence a significant number of Scots had changed their minds and were now prepared to …

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WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement particularly relevant to post Brexit NI

| Readers 618

  The World Customs Organisation has welcomed the entry into force of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement which may be particularly relevant to post Brexit Northern Ireland along with other customs facilitation agreements like the UNECE eTIR Project / TIR convention TIR Convention (1975) facilitates trans-boundary exchanges between member states. More info: https://t.co/aLDrN71nqg pic.twitter.com/2yTd1VgJnk — UNECE (@UNECE) August 9, 2016 The WTO TFA states: ‘Each Member shall ensure that its authorities and agencies responsible for border controls and procedures dealing with …

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A United Ireland is not inevitable – here is why

| Readers 4522

There has been much recent discussion about a border poll & the “inevitable” move towards a United Ireland yet there has been scant detail. Nationalist politicians have cited the economic benefits of an all island economy but looking at the lastest statistics from the Department for the Economy I find that 86% of all Northern Ireland sales are with Northern Ireland & Great Britain. If we exclude internal Northern Ireland trade we find that sales to the rest of the …

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Joint authority? “What on earth have you been smoking?”

| Readers 3092

In the Irish Times Newton Emerson takes issue with two of the talking points being promoted by the SDLP and Sinn Féin – EU ‘special status’ for Northern Ireland and ‘joint authority’.  From the Irish Times Northern nationalism has an alternative to Brexit – special status for the North within the EU. Nobody has a clue what this means but at least Brussels has been asked if it will consider the possibility (it has said no). Northern nationalism also has …

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#Irexit: it’s make your mind up time for the Irish Republic. 

| Readers 2525

Jeff Peel has already made the case for welcoming the opportunities that Brexit offers Northern Ireland business. Down South, the mood has changed from believing Brexit would never happen, seeing it happen, to a realization of the change that brings to the Republic’s economic outlook. It needs to decide on its best options going forward, and soon.  Nothing new, but there have been hugely irresponsible noises coming out of Dublin to the effect that Brexit means a return to violence …

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Breaking… Brokenshire gambles with high risk threat of a new election, cutting through opening party maneouvres

| Readers 1640

  New “James Brokenshire warns parties must agree or face second snap election” Oh well done James,  you’ve decide to open with the joker, He’s decided to match  Sinn Fein’s bottom line with one of his own – incidentally going against the advice of his predecessor Theresa Villiers  who called  for an extension of the three week period. Theresa May has form, with hard ball as an opening move. Quite a gamble. Will anyone pick it up in time?  This …

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Back to life, back to Brexit reality

| Readers 1439

Given the superb contributions posted on Slugger over the past few weeks, I thought it best to voluntarily suspend my regular postings until the Assembly election was over. So now that all the votes have been counted, the seats declared and the government negotiations underway, I thought I’d return to the massive elephant in the corner of the room: Brexit. We are now into March and it is expected that this will be the month that Theresa May triggers Article …

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“concepts and terms like “special status” give rise to serious concerns for other EU partners about precedents that might be set elsewhere”

| Readers 2225

A much needed, for some, lesson in the real politik of negotiations with other EU states, in regard to the UK leaving the EU, from the Irish Government Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, in a Dáil written answer last week. 457.Deputy Darragh O’Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the need for a special status for Northern Ireland in view of Brexit has been placed on the agenda and discussed formally at any EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting; and if …

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Observe the sons of Ulster, marching towards the bin

| Readers 8982

It was the best of campaigns, it was the worst of campaigns. Arlene’s decision to meet the three letter problem of RHI with the three letter solution of IRA worked masterfully in terms of holding the DUP’s vote together; despite three months of unremitting negative publicity and a collapsed government, DUP losses were kept to just 1.1%, with the drop in seats not much worse than the five likely to go with the shrinking of the Assembly. The DUP actually …

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Theresa May launches high stakes confrontation with Nicola Sturgeon

| Readers 1414

The pace of big politics is quickening in the run-up to  pulling the trigger of Art 50.  In advance of addressing the Scottish Conservatives today, Theresa May says “politics is not a game and the management of devolved public services in Scotland is too important to be neglected.” But it’s high risk, high stakes  poker that the  prime minister and the first minister are in fact now locking themselves into.   May is calling Nicola Sturgeon’s bluff over the first …

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EU nationals are going through 85 pages of hell to claim their right to remain

| Readers 1040

In the atmosphere of increasing tension as we enter the month of triggering Article 50, the  government faces at least a temporary defeat in the Lords over the status of EU nationals. Peers are unlikely to accept home secretary Amber Rudd’s claim in a letter to each peer that: a guarantee of EU nationals’  right to stay, however “well-intentioned”, would not help the hundreds of thousands of UK citizens living on the continent as it could leave them in potential …

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There is no way for NI to remain in the EU after Brexit. Alternatives exist, but they all come at a price.

| Readers 2091

Last week, Kevin O’Rourke wrote in the Irish Times: It is logically coherent, if lunatic, to argue that Ireland should quit the EU and join the UK customs union. (Leaving the EU would on its own obviously not suffice to avoid a North-South border: our exit from the EU would have to be of the red, white, and blue variety.) It is also logically coherent to argue that Northern Ireland should remain within the EU, and I wish it would. …

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New Brexit bombshell. Irish citizen rights to live and work in Great Britain may change within a month, even for northerners. The answer so far- take out a British passport if you can, quick

| Readers 13147

My thanks to commenter Jag for drawing attention to a quite a different Brexit  bombshell from No 10 in the Daily Telegraph. The Prime Minister is expected to say that EU citizens who travel to Britain after she triggers Article 50 will no longer have the automatic right to stay in the UK permanently. They will instead be subject to migration curbs after Britain leaves the European Union, which could include a new visa regime and restricted access to benefits. …

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Scotland and Northern Ireland move centre stage, says Downing St. ” Save the Union” is the mission

| Readers 3993

Well what do you know? At the beginning of a very busy news week, the Times leads with a real revelation from right under their noses. After months of  patting the wee Celts on the head with bland assurances that Brexit will be fine all round, “sources “ now say that  “concerns about Scotland and Northern Ireland were discussed at last week’s cabinet.. and the impact of Brexit on the UKs devolution settlement is the government’s greatest concern about the exit …

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Yanis Varoufakis: “I don’t believe there’s any upside for anyone from Brexit”

| Readers 2126

YANIS VAROUFAKIS – economist and former Greek Finance Minister speaking ahead of this evening’s sold out DiEM25 event in the Crescent Arts Centre – asked about the opportunities for Northern Ireland presented by Brexit, Theresa May’s options, his influence over Sinn Fein’s ‘reverse ferret’ on welfare reform and Northern Ireland’s splintered political left.

Tony Blair has made the case for a rethink on Brexit and Northern Ireland will need a new financial deal. Is anybody listening?

| Readers 2271

Hurtling at us like a comet but unnoticed by the local worthies is the prospect for repatriating powers direct from Brussels to Stormont, Holyrood and Cardiff Bay. Among them are powers over agriculture and energy, which in Ireland are linked or integrated north and south. How they’ll be divvied up is  hasn’t  even been examined. The British government retain a substantial interest in these areas where powers currently rest with Brussels as it  negotiates new trading arrangements to replace membership …

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