Brexit.

[BennyCake]

Serious confusion in Muff.

This is a family thread!

[BennyCake]

Anyone remember the ending of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels?

These Brexit talks feel like that.

[screenexile]

Sam McBride nailing it here . . .

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/analysis-something-dup-government-story-today-doesnt-add/amp/

[gallsman]

Surprised how many people think this will actually backfire on the DUP. Even the South Belfast/North Down middle class will drink the kool aid and keep voting for them and accept Foster's attempt to lay the blame on Varadkar's door. Doesn't matter what she or any of the rest of them do or say, any subsequent fallout for the PUL community will ALWAYS be down to those pesky, meddling taigs.

[armaghniac]

Surprised how many people think this will actually backfire on the DUP. Even the South Belfast/North Down middle class will drink the kool aid and keep voting for them and accept Foster's attempt to lay the blame on Varadkar's door. Doesn't matter what she or any of the rest of them do or say, any subsequent fallout for the PUL community will ALWAYS be down to those pesky, meddling taigs.

Their own ultras will think that, but others generally from a unionist background will not.
Interesting perspective on Slugger
https://sluggerotoole.com/2017/12/04/how-brexit-is-destroying-nis-centre-ground-and-could-take-the-union-with-it/

[omaghjoe]

Sam McBride nailing it here . . .

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/analysis-something-dup-government-story-today-doesnt-add/amp/

Might seem closer to the mark alright. Sure the DUP new about the deal and voiced their opposition in public the past fortnight. Was it an attempt to drive a wedge between Dublin and Brussels?
So maybe there is a bit of grandstanding going on but really what changes?

Border issue remains
DUP wont budge
Dublin wont budge
Hard Brexit with hard border? Pro business Tories and remainers wont stand for it
Soft Brexit with all of the UK regulartory aligned with the EU? Brexiters wont stand for it.

So....... what gives in the next week or so? Something of the above has to.

[omaghjoe]

BTW fair fooks to Leo Varaker yid need some balls on ye to wear thon vest

[seafoid]

Surprised how many people think this will actually backfire on the DUP. Even the South Belfast/North Down middle class will drink the kool aid and keep voting for them and accept Foster's attempt to lay the blame on Varadkar's door. Doesn't matter what she or any of the rest of them do or say, any subsequent fallout for the PUL community will ALWAYS be down to those pesky, meddling taigs.

If the DUP have a veto the UK will leave without any deal. WTO rules  . The UK economy will crash. This will not be good for NI.
The markets know this.. Sterling will probably get another tanking this week. It always does when the politics fail 1
100 years ago the Unionists threw their toys out of the pram and messed up Ireland for a century. Will they do the same to England now?

[seafoid]

Sam McBride nailing it here . . .

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/analysis-something-dup-government-story-today-doesnt-add/amp/

Might seem closer to the mark alright. Sure the DUP new about the deal and voiced their opposition in public the past fortnight. Was it an attempt to drive a wedge between Dublin and Brussels?
So maybe there is a bit of grandstanding going on but really what changes?

Border issue remains
DUP wont budge
Dublin wont budge
Hard Brexit with hard border? Pro business Tories and remainers wont stand for it
Soft Brexit with all of the UK regulartory aligned with the EU? Brexiters wont stand for it.

So....... what gives in the next week or so? Something of the above has to.

There is no leadership in the UK. May has no authority. The DUP is like a Dáil  independent vetoing business because it wants 4 extra ambulances for Waterford regional hospital. Except it's not about ambulances any more. It's about the economic future of London. The future of the NHS .
The UK has a constitutional crisis.

[T Fearon]

There doesn't seem to be a great deal of Political leadership anywhere.Varadkar is hardly Napoleon,the USA opted to the comedy option etc.

[Therealdonald]

There doesn't seem to be a great deal of Political leadership anywhere.Varadkar is hardly Napoleon,the USA opted to the comedy option etc.

I'll tell you Tony where there's 3 great leaders, Russia, China and North Korea.

[T Fearon]

Yes.

Yesterday by the way proved my point,in demonstrating how little understanding both London and Dublin have of the complexities of politics in the North.We are not,on either side,amenable or persuaded by reason,logic or economics,we prioritise an Irish Language Act over a failing Health Service,or avoidance of nominal borders in the Irish Sea over economic potential because it makes us different from the UK.

It also is very clear that Dodds is the  real DUP leader,an Oxbridge graduate with far more political experience and dare I say it,ability,than anyone on the nationalist side.

[seafoid]

Surprised how many people think this will actually backfire on the DUP. Even the South Belfast/North Down middle class will drink the kool aid and keep voting for them and accept Foster's attempt to lay the blame on Varadkar's door. Doesn't matter what she or any of the rest of them do or say, any subsequent fallout for the PUL community will ALWAYS be down to those pesky, meddling taigs.

Their own ultras will think that, but others generally from a unionist background will not.
Interesting perspective on Slugger
https://sluggerotoole.com/2017/12/04/how-brexit-is-destroying-nis-centre-ground-and-could-take-the-union-with-it/

That slugger article is excellent. I wonder who funds the DUP.
I can't imagine most voters are that extremist, even for Unionists. The DUP is a miserable outfit

[T Fearon]

Seafoid most voters are extremist up here,in that they default to the most macho party on their side to rival the other side's most macho party,that's why the DUP and SF are both so strong.In a lot of cases votes are cast simply to keep the other side out,not on the basis of reason or logic.

[Franko]

Yes.

Yesterday by the way proved my point,in demonstrating how little understanding both London and Dublin have of the complexities of politics in the North.We are not,on either side,amenable or persuaded by reason,logic or economics,we prioritise an Irish Language Act over a failing Health Service,or avoidance of nominal borders in the Irish Sea over economic potential because it makes us different from the UK.

It also is very clear that Dodds is the  real DUP leader,an Oxbridge graduate with far more political experience and dare I say it,ability,than anyone on the nationalist side.

Yesterday showed in the clearset possible terms that both the London and Dublin governments are MUCH more in tune with the views of ordinary Nationalists in the wee 6 than the DUP.

Which takes your idiotic utopian NI idea and throws it off a cliff.  But in fairness, it was a load of shite.