A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[Applesisapples]

The unionist siege mentality is based on fear and insecurity.They do know deep down however that Britain doesn't want them and if only nationalists could understand Dublin doesn't want them,then we all can begin to realise no one else wants us and begin to come together in the North and find commonality in our culture and way of life which is substantially different to that in the UK and 26 counties.

There is no common culture though. Unionist fear and insecurity, and all that.

Do you not think that Unionists actually prefer the status quo (i.e. Remaining within the UK)?  Bit of a cliche to say that Unionist opposition to a UI is all about fear and insecurity.

I was merely recycling those words from another post.

Yes, they do prefer the quo. Understandably so, for them. But Britain created the Protestant mindset in this place.

How does that explain a significant proportion of folk from the catholic / nationalist population being happy with the status quo too?

The biggest threat to the union is unionists themselves. As demonstrated by the DUP. There is no generosity of spirit or acceptance of the identity, flags and culture of their fellow countrymen. OWC can't even bring itself to respect the identity of most of its soccer team ffs. Most Catholics at the moment myself included know that a UI at the moment would probably cause the troubles in reverse and would prefer to let time and demographics sort the problem out. Clever Unionists would make us feel more at home and help us embrace our Irishness...but there aren't to many of them outside the Alliance party. Hence we have Carla Lockhart and Mike Nesbitt arguing on twitter over the weekend about who let the taigs into government.

[seafoid]

All bluster.Tory donors are threatening to cut the funds if they leave the EU.Won't happen

Sterling ag titim aris....

https://www.ft.com/content/412136e8-d642-11e6-944b-e7eb37a6aa8e
Analysts said political discord over the UK's Brexit strategy would weigh on sterling even though economic data were proving resilient.
"Until the government finally presents a concrete and convincing strategy, market participants will increasingly fear a disaster," said Esther Reichelt at Commerzbank.

[HiMucker]

I am not suggesting for one moment there was not widespread discrimination,gerrymandering in the North but I think its effects were over estimated.My parents were of the opinion that there was work of some description always for those who wanted it.As I've said before the middle classes of all hues were exempt from discrimination,Portadown like everywhere else always had its fair share of Catholic professionals and business people who started and grew businesses and lived in the leafy suburbs.

Much the same as the Protestant middle classes in the South I expect.

Seafoid there will be no hard Brexit,despite the bluster.As experienced commentator Alex Kane up here said last week,the Brexit will be so soft (assuming it goes ahead at all) that it will be unnoticeable

Well your Parents were wrong

[heganboy]

this is about to get interesting. NI just became a Brexit bargaining chip.

Let's see where this goes...

[armaghniac]

I am not suggesting for one moment there was not widespread discrimination,gerrymandering in the North but I think its effects were over estimated.My parents were of the opinion that there was work of some description always for those who wanted it.As I've said before the middle classes of all hues were exempt from discrimination,Portadown like everywhere else always had its fair share of Catholic professionals and business people who started and grew businesses and lived in the leafy suburbs.

Much the same as the Protestant middle classes in the South I expect.

Seafoid there will be no hard Brexit,despite the bluster.As experienced commentator Alex Kane up here said last week,the Brexit will be so soft (assuming it goes ahead at all) that it will be unnoticeable

Well your Parents were wrong

It looks like Alex Kane was wrong too, unless the whole thing unravels, which is still a possibility.

[seafoid]

I am not suggesting for one moment there was not widespread discrimination,gerrymandering in the North but I think its effects were over estimated.My parents were of the opinion that there was work of some description always for those who wanted it.As I've said before the middle classes of all hues were exempt from discrimination,Portadown like everywhere else always had its fair share of Catholic professionals and business people who started and grew businesses and lived in the leafy suburbs.

Much the same as the Protestant middle classes in the South I expect.

Seafoid there will be no hard Brexit,despite the bluster.As experienced commentator Alex Kane up here said last week,the Brexit will be so soft (assuming it goes ahead at all) that it will be unnoticeable

Well your Parents were wrong

It looks like Alex Kane was wrong too, unless the whole thing unravels, which is still a possibility.

Brexit is really f**king stupid so it may be revoked

Thatcherism has pauperised huge chunks of England and they reciprocated via a f**k off vote in favour of Brexit
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Gross_domestic_product_(GDP)_per_inhabitant_in_purchasing_power_standard_(PPS)_in_relation_to_the_EU-28_average,_by_NUTS_2_regions,_2014_(%C2%B9)_(%25_of_the_EU-28_average,_EU-28_%3D_100)_RYB2016.png

[armaghniac]

Thatcherism has pauperised huge chunks of England and they reciprocated via a f**k off vote in favour of Brexit

How exactly will the f**k off improve the situation in these huge chunks?

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Gross_domestic_product_(GDP)_per_inhabitant_in_purchasing_power_standard_(PPS)_in_relation_to_the_EU-28_average,_by_NUTS_2_regions,_2014_(%C2%B9)_(%25_of_the_EU-28_average,_EU-28_%3D_100)_RYB2016.png

You could argue that the UK isn't much different than France!

[Franko]

I am not suggesting for one moment there was not widespread discrimination,gerrymandering in the North but I think its effects were over estimated.My parents were of the opinion that there was work of some description always for those who wanted it.As I've said before the middle classes of all hues were exempt from discrimination,Portadown like everywhere else always had its fair share of Catholic professionals and business people who started and grew businesses and lived in the leafy suburbs.

Much the same as the Protestant middle classes in the South I expect.

Seafoid there will be no hard Brexit,despite the bluster.As experienced commentator Alex Kane up here said last week,the Brexit will be so soft (assuming it goes ahead at all) that it will be unnoticeable

Well your Parents were wrong

It looks like Alex Kane was wrong too, unless the whole thing unravels, which is still a possibility.

Brexit is really f**king stupid so it may be revoked

Thatcherism has pauperised huge chunks of England and they reciprocated via a f**k off vote in favour of Brexit
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Gross_domestic_product_(GDP)_per_inhabitant_in_purchasing_power_standard_(PPS)_in_relation_to_the_EU-28_average,_by_NUTS_2_regions,_2014_(%C2%B9)_(%25_of_the_EU-28_average,_EU-28_%3D_100)_RYB2016.png

That's an interesting graphic.  I'm surprised at how well the 26 (or should I say Dublin, Kildare & Munster) fare here.

[seafoid]

this is about to get interesting. NI just became a Brexit bargaining chip.

Let's see where this goes...

NI is considerably behind Leinster and Munster as it is. Brexit will exacerbate the difference

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/d/da/Gross_domestic_product_%28GDP%29_per_inhabitant_in_purchasing_power_standard_%28PPS%29_in_relation_to_the_EU-28_average%2C_by_NUTS_2_regions%2C_2014_%28%C2%B9%29_%28%25_of_the_EU-28_average%2C_EU-28_%3D_100%29_RYB2016.png

James Craig must be spinning

"The hon. Member must remember that in the South they boasted of a Catholic State. They still boast of Southern Ireland being a Catholic State. All I boast of is that we are a Protestant Parliament and a Protestant State. It would be rather interesting for historians of the future to compare a Catholic State launched in the South with a Protestant State launched in the North and to see which gets on the better and prospers the more. It is most interesting for me at the moment to watch how they are progressing. I am doing my best always to top the bill and to be ahead of the South."

[armaghniac]

That's an interesting graphic.  I'm surprised at how well the 26 (or should I say Dublin, Kildare & Munster) fare here.

of course GDP may overstate things a bit. However, this was 2014, things in Leinster and Munster have improved since then and NI will fall a bit as Sterling goes down the toilet.

[Eamonnca1]

I am not suggesting for one moment there was not widespread discrimination,gerrymandering in the North but I think its effects were over estimated.My parents were of the opinion that there was work of some description always for those who wanted it.As I've said before the middle classes of all hues were exempt from discrimination,Portadown like everywhere else always had its fair share of Catholic professionals and business people who started and grew businesses and lived in the leafy suburbs.

Much the same as the Protestant middle classes in the South I expect.

Seafoid there will be no hard Brexit,despite the bluster.As experienced commentator Alex Kane up here said last week,the Brexit will be so soft (assuming it goes ahead at all) that it will be unnoticeable

Well your Parents were wrong

It looks like Alex Kane was wrong too, unless the whole thing unravels, which is still a possibility.

Brexit is really f**king stupid so it may be revoked

Thatcherism has pauperised huge chunks of England and they reciprocated via a f**k off vote in favour of Brexit
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Gross_domestic_product_(GDP)_per_inhabitant_in_purchasing_power_standard_(PPS)_in_relation_to_the_EU-28_average,_by_NUTS_2_regions,_2014_(%C2%B9)_(%25_of_the_EU-28_average,_EU-28_%3D_100)_RYB2016.png

Jesus! And look at Germany. So much for reunification. The East is as impoverished as ever.

[Eamonnca1]

That's an interesting graphic.  I'm surprised at how well the 26 (or should I say Dublin, Kildare & Munster) fare here.

of course GDP may overstate things a bit. However, this was 2014, things in Leinster and Munster have improved since then and NI will fall a bit as Sterling goes down the toilet.

Yup. GNP''s a more interesting number than GDP as far as the free state is concerned.

[seafoid]

That's an interesting graphic.  I'm surprised at how well the 26 (or should I say Dublin, Kildare & Munster) fare here.

of course GDP may overstate things a bit. However, this was 2014, things in Leinster and Munster have improved since then and NI will fall a bit as Sterling goes down the toilet.

The North has been going nowhere for years. It never recovered from.the war.

[armaghniac]

I am not suggesting for one moment there was not widespread discrimination,gerrymandering in the North but I think its effects were over estimated.My parents were of the opinion that there was work of some description always for those who wanted it.As I've said before the middle classes of all hues were exempt from discrimination,Portadown like everywhere else always had its fair share of Catholic professionals and business people who started and grew businesses and lived in the leafy suburbs.

Much the same as the Protestant middle classes in the South I expect.

Seafoid there will be no hard Brexit,despite the bluster.As experienced commentator Alex Kane up here said last week,the Brexit will be so soft (assuming it goes ahead at all) that it will be unnoticeable

Well your Parents were wrong

It looks like Alex Kane was wrong too, unless the whole thing unravels, which is still a possibility.

Brexit is really f**king stupid so it may be revoked

Thatcherism has pauperised huge chunks of England and they reciprocated via a f**k off vote in favour of Brexit
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Gross_domestic_product_(GDP)_per_inhabitant_in_purchasing_power_standard_(PPS)_in_relation_to_the_EU-28_average,_by_NUTS_2_regions,_2014_(%C2%B9)_(%25_of_the_EU-28_average,_EU-28_%3D_100)_RYB2016.png

Jesus! And look at Germany. So much for reunification. The East is as impoverished as ever.

The whole thing is NUTS.

[seafoid]

Poland has caught up with Portugal. It will be interesting to see how the UK does going forward. Poland might catch up with it too