Bringing this back bc census
#NI Protocol Bill
torpid lake
it's comingggg
rare mica
Has Truss mentioned doing anything with the protocol?
pure belfry
lol no
rare mica
Grand
pure belfry
this may be an interesting development
the SDLP "breaking" a tie that strengthened political ties across NI and ROI
rare mica
Didnt know they had a partnership in the first place
pure belfry
I was just writing out my post đ but thank u
burnt torrent
Oh ope
I thought maybe you were having trouble
Curious what @swift pivot thinks as well
pure belfry
The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, commonly abbreviated to the Northern Ireland Protocol, is a protocol to the Brexit withdrawal agreement that governs the unique customs and immigration issues at the border in the island of Ireland between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union, and on some aspects of trade in goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Its terms were negotiated in 2019 before the UK general election, and concluded in December of that year. The withdrawal agreement as a whole, including the protocol, was ratified in January 2020. It came into effect on January 1st 2021 at the end of the Brexit transition period. (Source: Wikipedia)
The Protocol exists mainly because of the Good Friday Agreement 1998 stating that there must be no hard border on the island of Ireland. As Ireland is an EU country and the UK now is not, special measures have been put in place to protect peace in Northern Ireland. This is where the Irish Sea Border customs checks come into place. Northern Ireland remains in the EU Single Market for this purpose.
There has been disapproval from Protestant Unionist Loyalist (PUL) communities and various politicians across the United Kingdom who disagree with the customs checks in place between Britain and Northern Ireland. The response has led to violent outbreaks, including an attempt to cause cross-community tensions by Unionists who wanted to get into Nationalist areas and basically "burn them out of their houses". Staff members in Northern Ireland who are responsible for customs checks are threatened by paramilitaries because of them "separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK".
The Protocol has a majority support in Northern Ireland. At time of writing, there is no Stormont government in place due to the DUP primarily refusing to work until the protocol is stopped (as well as not being the largest party anymore). The local economy has been thriving and is performing at its highest since the creation of Northern Ireland.
Boris Johnson has been pushing the Commons into voting for a bill ending the NI Protocol and, in short terms, making the DUP happy. The DUP are yelling that this is breaching the Good Friday Agreement which they never signed in the first place.
From RTE News: "Theresa May warned moves to scrap unilaterally parts of Northern Ireland's Brexit deal are "not legal" and will "diminish" the UK's global standing.
Mrs May questioned the argument that a legal principle of necessity allows for the UK Government's plans, insisting there is "nothing urgent" about the legislation.
Conservative chair of the Commons' Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Simon Hoare said: "It is not a well-thought out Bill, it is not a good Bill, it is not a constitutional Bill.
He also said it risks "shredding" the UK's reputation as a guardian of international law and warned: "How in the name of heaven can we expect to speak to others with authority, when we ourselves shun at a moment's notice our legal obligations?""
burnt torrent
...so basically they're trying to bring back customs checks on the border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland? That's how it all reads to me. Making a border between NI and ROI, how on earth could anyone think that is a good idea
swift pivot
I'll also add that under the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland has a system of mandatory coalition. Political parties in Northern Ireland are designated according to community/stance on the status of Northern Ireland - Unionist, Nationalist, or Other. For a government to be formed in Northern Ireland, it has to include the largest parties from these communities. As there is a mostly left/right split between these communities, this guarantees a somewhat turbulent government anyway, but since 2007, the two largest parties have been the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn FĂ©in. One is practically a Christian fundamentalist party, whose representatives uphold Young Earth Creationism and have sought to exempt Northern Ireland from equalities legislation that applies elsewhere in the UK, such as the Equality Act 2010, for example. Sinn FĂ©in are an historically socialist party who were once considered the political wing of the IRA. So they aren't exactly the most natural of coalition partners.
One major difference between the Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party is that the DUP is seen as more hardline, and the UUP as more moderate. In the 1990's, the DUP were the only major party to campaign against the Good Friday Agreement intended to end the Troubles.
Moderate unionists, such as the UUP and perhaps the Alliance if you want to put them in that category although they are designated as Other, generally accept the NI Protocol as a necessary evil to my understanding, and not something to bring down the government over. The DUP are the only major party in Northern Ireland who won't accept it, and since a government cannot be formed without their cooperation under the Good Friday Agreement, one could argue that the only way to restore government in Northern Ireland is by caving in to them and scrapping the protocol. But it's immensely frustrating.
It's one party of sore losers, in effect, who are bringing down the government because they aren't getting their own way.
burnt torrent
So you either have to violate the good friday agreement one way, or another way
burnt torrent
It's one party of sore losers, in effect, who are bringing down the government b...
Sounds like american republicans
pure belfry
I'm just waiting on the UVF or UDA bombing places in protest
swift pivot
The DUP are basically the closest British equivalent of the Republicans
More so than the Tories, who are more quiet about their more extreme views, especially since they know their political capital is fragile
Although one of them did retweet the Republicans celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade but that's for another thread
burnt torrent
Definitely reads like a one-way ticket to violence again, which it sounds like the DUP wants? Since they opposed the GFA in the first place
swift pivot
The DUP were upset over it giving Ireland an advisory role and potentially allowing Sinn FĂ©in into government, if I recall correctly. Something something "surrendering to the terrorists" - never mind the terrorists on their own side.
The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure anyone with common sense would treat the DUP as pariahs if not for mandatory coalition. They would struggle to find coalition partners if not for that one part of the GFA
sterile nest
Definitely reads like a one-way ticket to violence again, which it sounds like t...
The DUP want to be massive assholes
It's their primary function
cold shuttle
They are ass
Since itâs founding, they have never once been not a huge pain in the arse
pure belfry
The DUP exists because in 1971 Ian Paisley was too pissed off that the Protestant Unionist Party wasnât evangelist enough⊠in a nutshell
The DUP also tried creating a militia group which makes me lol https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Force_(Northern_Ireland)
pure belfry
This map shows political parties in Westminster
I spent way too long looking for it
But you can see today it is almost perfectly split between DUP and Sinn Fein
2017 was almost entirely unionist in one side and nationalist on the other
swift pivot
They aren't, they're on there because of their one seat in 1997
cold shuttle
ooh alright
pure belfry
pure belfry
An important article https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/04/labour-keir-starmer-vows-cut-red-tape-not-unpick-brexit
âDetailing a plan first outlined by David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, Starmer said a key priority would be to improve trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, with a new veterinary agreement for agri-product trade, and a system for low-risk goods to enter Northern Ireland without checks.â
cold shuttle
I highly doubt Boris actually gives a fuck about Northern Ireland
torpid lake
he only gives a fuck about keeping him and his mates in power and wealthy
cold shuttle
I canât imagine putting up a hard border, some personâs house is gonna be split
Have to go through a checkpoint just to get to the bloody kitchen
torpid lake
yup, it'll divide families, fuck up trade routes, you'll have people having to cross a hard border to get to school or work
pure belfry
There are houses quite literally on the FUCKING BORDER
torpid lake
not to mention the additional sociapolitical issues
every day I'm reminded how much I hate brexit
pure belfry
cold shuttle
Is there a -1?