Brexit.

[imtommygunn]

Belfast port seem to have withdrawn staff now too. That'll show the EU where to put their border

[GJL]

Belfast port seem to have withdrawn staff now too. That'll show the EU where to put their border

I presume they will just move the checks (and the jobs) to ports in Scotland and Wales?

[johnnycool]

Belfast port seem to have withdrawn staff now too. That'll show the EU where to put their border

Is the intent to bring these ports to a halt, prevent food getting in so that Article 16 is triggered??

[bennydorano]

Unionism definitely smells an opportunity here after the EU's Article 16 blunder.

[tonto1888]

Belfast port seem to have withdrawn staff now too. That'll show the EU where to put their border

Is the intent to bring these ports to a halt, prevent food getting in so that Article 16 is triggered??

I would say so. This is a political play

[balladmaker]

Unionism definitely smells an opportunity here after the EU's Article 16 blunder.

I'm struggling to understand what that opportunity is ... a Brexit renegotiation around the NI Protocol, UK to invoke Article 16 and place a hard border in Ireland (which would be total political suicide for Unionism imo) ..... what else can they hope to achieve?

[balladmaker]

Belfast port seem to have withdrawn staff now too. That'll show the EU where to put their border

Is the intent to bring these ports to a halt, prevent food getting in so that Article 16 is triggered??

I would say so. This is a political play

Go on Boris, send in the troops to re-open the ports.

[johnnycool]

Unionism definitely smells an opportunity here after the EU's Article 16 blunder.

It was indeed a blunder by the EU but this "act of hostility" as Arlene called it is only so because the EU attempted to trigger Article 16 but the previous two weeks or so she and her DUP colleagues have been asking Boris to trigger it anyway.

The DUP need the NI protocol binned or they're dust at the next elections in 2022

[johnnycool]

Belfast port seem to have withdrawn staff now too. That'll show the EU where to put their border

Is the intent to bring these ports to a halt, prevent food getting in so that Article 16 is triggered??

I would say so. This is a political play

Go on Boris, send in the troops to re-open the ports.

Jesus, even Pat Sheehan would love to see that 

[imtommygunn]

JC I wish I would believe that the DUP were dust. I'll believe it when I see it.

There was some grafitti in Carrick.

The GFA is over. Ready for war.

As many of the comments beneath it said on social media I'm not sure who these people are going to war with.

[imtommygunn]

Also if they send the troops in to reopen the ports it'll take 15 days to get all their equipment over apparently lol.

[johnnycool]

Also if they send the troops in to reopen the ports it'll take 15 days to get all their equipment over apparently lol.

On the View last night you'd Billy Hutchinson, Edwin Poots, Jim Allister and Chris Hazard....

All Allister could do was berate the DUP and Poots for implementing the checks at Larne and Belfast (He mustn't have heard about Warrenpoint), and even Poots had to point out to him that these checks were agreed by the Sovereign Govt in Westminster and signed off by HM...
FFS the only one who talked sense on the unionist side was Hutchinson but one of his biggest concerns was people from his community losing their Britishness..

Hazard was a tad smug and that was annoying Jim no end.   

[bennydorano]

Unionism definitely smells an opportunity here after the EU's Article 16 blunder.

I'm struggling to understand what that opportunity is ... a Brexit renegotiation around the NI Protocol, UK to invoke Article 16 and place a hard border in Ireland (which would be total political suicide for Unionism imo) ..... what else can they hope to achieve?

Unilaterally override the new Customs set up I'd imagine, nothing says border like customs within your own country. Unionism can't hide how badly they've been screwed over with the current set up.

[tonto1888]

Also if they send the troops in to reopen the ports it'll take 15 days to get all their equipment over apparently lol.
[/quote
They're not closing the ports. DAERA aren't doing physical checks but will still be doing documentary checks.

[Rossfan]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0202/1194523-northern-ireland-ports-eu/