Arlene's bigotry shines through

[Insane Bolt]

I'm not assuming that's your position, it's when the media have headlines like Catholics to me in the majority by 2020 eg. I know lots of Catholics who would prefer to stay part of the UK than a UI, mainly those that are civil servants, work in health and education.

[Avondhu star]

I don't know how the rest of you all feel but I am starting to worry more about what the British have planned for over here. You can be sure our interests will not matter one fook.

And you can be sure that Merkel, Macron and the right wingers in Austria Poland Hungary etc arent too concerned about us either. Maybe if we offered Putin the use of Knock Airport we might be looked after

[Avondhu star]

I'm not assuming that's your position, it's when the media have headlines like Catholics to me in the majority by 2020 eg. I know lots of Catholics who would prefer to stay part of the UK than a UI, mainly those that are civil servants, work in health and education.

You will be attacked for that suggestion but I believe that there is a significant amount of Catholics that would be happy to stay with Britain. Unless the Republic and those advocating a U.I. come up with a very strong economic argument those people wont change their minds.
I would believe that the country would be better off and that the potential for a good economy isthere through agriculture tourism fishing pharma and I.T. but its not worth a civil war

[armaghniac]

I'm not assuming that's your position, it's when the media have headlines like Catholics to me in the majority by 2020 eg. I know lots of Catholics who would prefer to stay part of the UK than a UI, mainly those that are civil servants, work in health and education.

You will be attacked for that suggestion but I believe that there is a significant amount of Catholics that would be happy to stay with Britain. Unless the Republic and those advocating a U.I. come up with a very strong economic argument those people wont change their minds.
I would believe that the country would be better off and that the potential for a good economy is there through agriculture tourism fishing pharma and I.T. but its not worth a civil war

People working health and education would carry on in their jobs are usual.
However, the general point is that people are fully entitled to ask for a proper plan and almost as many people from a Protestant background would be looking carefully at this. One problem is that the main nationalist party in the 6 counties has little economic credibility and spend their time telling the people of the 26 counties how badly off they are.

Provided the present Brexit crisis can be sorted then there is time to have a thorough discussion on these issues.

[BennyCake]

My friend is a Nationalist with a capital N and small r.

There's an "r" in nationalist?!

Yeah, I wondered about that myself 

[Taylor]

I'm not assuming that's your position, it's when the media have headlines like Catholics to me in the majority by 2020 eg. I know lots of Catholics who would prefer to stay part of the UK than a UI, mainly those that are civil servants, work in health and education.

You will be attacked for that suggestion but I believe that there is a significant amount of Catholics that would be happy to stay with Britain. Unless the Republic and those advocating a U.I. come up with a very strong economic argument those people wont change their minds.
I would believe that the country would be better off and that the potential for a good economy is there through agriculture tourism fishing pharma and I.T. but its not worth a civil war

People working health and education would carry on in their jobs are usual.
However, the general point is that people are fully entitled to ask for a proper plan and almost as many people from a Protestant background would be looking carefully at this. One problem is that the main nationalist party in the 6 counties has little economic credibility and spend their time telling the people of the 26 counties how badly off they are.

Provided the present Brexit crisis can be sorted then there is time to have a thorough discussion on these issues.

How do we know they would be looking this?

While only a small sample any that I know and have discussed with wont consider a UI.
End of.

As I say if a UI was close it wouldnt be hard for the neanderthals to whip up a frenzy and go back to a civil war.

It didnt take much to whip up a frenzy about the flegs. And that was only about flying a fleg.

Imagine it was about a UI. Doesnt bare thinking about

[Hereiam]

What impact would a loyalist uprising be. How many guns are they in possession of at this point of time. The way it could play out of course is that britian hands back the north but they supply the loyalist with the weapons they need to keep the place in turmoil just like what is happening in the middle east.

[Applesisapples]

I'm not assuming that's your position, it's when the media have headlines like Catholics to me in the majority by 2020 eg. I know lots of Catholics who would prefer to stay part of the UK than a UI, mainly those that are civil servants, work in health and education.

You will be attacked for that suggestion but I believe that there is a significant amount of Catholics that would be happy to stay with Britain. Unless the Republic and those advocating a U.I. come up with a very strong economic argument those people wont change their minds.
I would believe that the country would be better off and that the potential for a good economy isthere through agriculture tourism fishing pharma and I.T. but its not worth a civil war

He shouldn't be attacked for that position as it is reasonably accurate as things stand. It is up to SF/SDLP to persuade.That also would involve showing public sector wprkers how they would be better off in a UI.

[armaghniac]

People working health and education would carry on in their jobs are usual.
However, the general point is that people are fully entitled to ask for a proper plan and almost as many people from a Protestant background would be looking carefully at this. One problem is that the main nationalist party in the 6 counties has little economic credibility and spend their time telling the people of the 26 counties how badly off they are.

Provided the present Brexit crisis can be sorted then there is time to have a thorough discussion on these issues.

How do we know they would be looking this?

While only a small sample any that I know and have discussed with wont consider a UI.

In general, the idea that Nationalists are influenced by money more than Unionists is rather condescending.
Pretty much any Alliance type voter is willing to look at the detail. Many of the Nesbitt faction of UU voter also, opinion polls show a quarter of UU voters in favour of an Irish language act.

Big U Unionists are a declining minority in NI, so the issue will be determined by the rest.

Of course some loyalists would stir trouble, which is why a period of talk is needed.

What impact would a loyalist uprising be. How many guns are they in possession of at this point of time. The way it could play out of course is that britian hands back the north but they supply the loyalist with the weapons they need to keep the place in turmoil just like what is happening in the middle east.

It isn't in Britain's interest to do this, they don't want NI really and having British terrorism become famous would not be especially helpful to Britain. Some shady elements might provide assistance to loyalists, but I doubt if they would nowadays get much official backing. It isn't like the Middle East, where Britain is keeping in with the US, the US would not favour stirring irredentist loyalists.

[north_antrim_hound]

What impact would a loyalist uprising be. How many guns are they in possession of at this point of time. The way it could play out of course is that britian hands back the north but they supply the loyalist with the weapons they need to keep the place in turmoil just like what is happening in the middle east.

Any loyalists paramilitary group can be bought off, any of them, It's not Slab your talking about here.
The biggest worries would be the violence on the street fueled by unionists in office. They would provoke as much upheaval as they could before defecting to their prearranged residences in Scotland and the like.
If a UI became a reality some backlash is a given.

[Taylor]

Alliance voters might look at detail but that doesnt mean in any shape or form they want or would agree to a UI.
If some reject it you can bet your bottom dollar the frenzy whipped up would be unreal and they would take to the streets like the hardliners.

As I said before a fleg caused carnage in the north - a proposed UI would be 100 tiems worse

[armaghniac]

Alliance voters might look at detail but that doesnt mean in any shape or form they want or would agree to a UI.
If some reject it you can bet your bottom dollar the frenzy whipped up would be unreal and they would take to the streets like the hardliners.

As I said before a fleg caused carnage in the north - a proposed UI would be 100 tiems worse

Opinion polls show that two thirds of Alliance  voters favoured a UI in the event of a hard Brexit, so presumably they are open to discussion on the matter.

As for carnage, what do you want, wait until the Loyalists grow up or until some nationalist group promises great carnage?

[Taylor]

Alliance voters might look at detail but that doesnt mean in any shape or form they want or would agree to a UI.
If some reject it you can bet your bottom dollar the frenzy whipped up would be unreal and they would take to the streets like the hardliners.

As I said before a fleg caused carnage in the north - a proposed UI would be 100 tiems worse

Opinion polls show that two thirds of Alliance  voters favoured a UI in the event of a hard Brexit, so presumably they are open to discussion on the matter.

As for carnage, what do you want, wait until the Loyalists grow up or until some nationalist group promises great carnage?

I dont want carnage at all. Simply pointing out the consequences of a UI

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Ok the last lucid talk poll had in the event of a hard brexit a majority supporting a UI. It also showed more Alliance and Green voters backing a UI over UK. These are the voters that need persuading not DUP or even UUP voters. If the Alliance types are interested and the vast majority are pro EU then the numbers are already there. I have talked about this before castle catholics were happy to stay in the UK because they were happy with the status quo, well Brexit has completely changed the status quo so suddenly a UI doesnt seem to be any bigger a jump in the dark than Brexit. Only a super fudge on customs union and the softest of brexits is going to save the day and if that happens then the Tory party will tear itself apart so all in all its a win-win-win situation.
Next about this loyalist uprising
The PSNI have the loyalists wrapped up they know who all the players are and tolerate their criminality just for the ease
The fleg protests were a joke within a few weeks it was one man and his dog stuff, likewise Twadell and was just giving people like LAD mountains of material to take the piss. The days of the workers strikes or the anglo irish agreement protests are finished
The IRA were able to cause trouble because  they had money form America, arms from Libya and were able to easily take refuge across the border. Loyalists will have none of this. Loyalists will neither have the British army supporting them and covering them when it suited them. An uprising by a few mad men could cause initial mayhem but it would be stopped very very swiftly

[north_antrim_hound]

If Scotland had independence prior to a UI referendum therefore throwing the union to the annals of history then a UI might be more expectable to hard loyalists, well it would lessen resistance. But I think it's unrealistic not to expect some violence.