The DUP thread

[Nanderson]

Anyone listen to talkback hear William tearing this 'independent think tank' to shreds over its credibility in using the term independant. When asked who has worked with them, the 21 year old founder listed people all of the same political ideology as a 'wide range of people from other backgrounds'. He's also been to NI a few times when he was young kid on holiday

[Saffrongael]

Well for a start it can give departments (like health and education) multi year budgets so they can plan and implement. As opposed to leaving decisions to senior civil servants

[Eire90]

Dont see why English should care france is closer to England than northern ireland

[seafoid]

Dont see why English should care france is closer to England than northern ireland

Cumbria isn't

[seafoid]

I can't see the Tories tolerating an ongoing shutdown of Stormont just because the DUP don't want to share power with Michelle O'Neill.
Stormont is  about real life and real people.

[Armagh18]

I can't see the Tories tolerating an ongoing shutdown of Stormont just because the DUP don't want to share power with Michelle O'Neill.
Stormont is  about real life and real people.

They've let it go this long. Do you really think they give a flying f**k about us?

[balladmaker]

PM needs to drop the joint authority option into a discussion with Jeffrey and co., see how they want to play it then.  It's time for Westminster to move onto other things, DUP have run their course on this one, if they've any sense they'll jump at the deal and try to stabilise their position for another few years.  It's like watching the march of the dodo's to their eventual destiny, not going to be pretty in the latter stages.

[AustinPowers]

Apologies if this has been   brought up previously......

If a deal is  agreed that leaves the north  in an unique situation, with access to UK/EU markets, then big companies might  be drawn to that unique trading position.

Let's say big tech companies,  manufacturing,  medical companies set up home in the north.  And the north becomes an economic boomtown,  and things are good economy-wise. Plenty of jobs, better wages, people have  more expendable income etc etc..... then a United ireland would  sail off down the river. I mean , even  if you were a hardened republican,  you'd be  mad to  look for a United ireland when you're living in an  economic  utopia, and never had it so good.

Unionists  just have to tuck that penalty kick  in the net , and that would become a reality. Bye bye United ireland. The union would be more  secure than it ever has been .   If only they  would have the foresight to see  that far

[Nanderson]

PM needs to drop the joint authority option into a discussion with Jeffrey and co., see how they want to play it then.  It's time for Westminster to move onto other things, DUP have run their course on this one, if they've any sense they'll jump at the deal and try to stabilise their position for another few years.  It's like watching the march of the dodo's to their eventual destiny, not going to be pretty in the latter stages.

I thought it was very apt that in his first 2 questions to be asked after announcing the framework he first asked the BBC and 2nd asked RTE. He's already dropping the hint that the Republic will play a part in the future of Northern Ireland

[Armagh18]

Apologies if this has been   brought up previously......

If a deal is  agreed that leaves the north  in an unique situation, with access to UK/EU markets, then big companies might  be drawn to that unique trading position.

Let's say big tech companies,  manufacturing,  medical companies set up home in the north.  And the north becomes an economic boomtown,  and things are good economy-wise. Plenty of jobs, better wages, people have  more expendable income etc etc..... then a United ireland would  sail off down the river. I mean , even  if you were a hardened republican,  you'd be  mad to  look for a United ireland when you're living in an  economic  utopia, and never had it so good.

Unionists  just have to tuck that penalty kick  in the net , and that would become a reality. Bye bye United ireland. The union would be more  secure than it ever has been .   If only they  would have the foresight to see  that far

They are that thick and bitter it'll never happen. Seriously short sighted.

[AustinPowers]

Apologies if this has been   brought up previously......

If a deal is  agreed that leaves the north  in an unique situation, with access to UK/EU markets, then big companies might  be drawn to that unique trading position.

Let's say big tech companies,  manufacturing,  medical companies set up home in the north.  And the north becomes an economic boomtown,  and things are good economy-wise. Plenty of jobs, better wages, people have  more expendable income etc etc..... then a United ireland would  sail off down the river. I mean , even  if you were a hardened republican,  you'd be  mad to  look for a United ireland when you're living in an  economic  utopia, and never had it so good.

Unionists  just have to tuck that penalty kick  in the net , and that would become a reality. Bye bye United ireland. The union would be more  secure than it ever has been .   If only they  would have the foresight to see  that far

I'm not sure exactly what a "hardened Republican" is in 2023 but you are expecting them to be (economic) Unionists overnight. That's a jump maybe?

Well ok,  the wrong term maybe,  but you know the point I'm making.

[Eire90]

Would it be wrong to say  the dup/lcc agenda is to have a hard border in ireland between north and south that they want to exhaust all options so they say the only solution is border.

[Eire90]

So the spokesman for loyalists paramilitaries is giving airtime on bbc

[Armagh18]

Would it be wrong to say  the dup/lcc agenda is to have a hard border in ireland between north and south that they want to exhaust all options so they say the only solution is border.

Are they that stupid? As soon as a hard border goes up the calls for a unity ref get too loud to ignore. (They probably are that stupid actually)

[Walter Cronc]

Shape of that David Campbell on the view. Just about intelligent enough not to eat himself!