A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

http://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/how-did-your-town-vote-in-our-united-ireland-border-poll-34917255.html

Well Ballymena has gone Green!!! Paisley will be turning in his grave. I know its been hijacked but yer man Bill White shouldnt be so dismissive as brexit will be a big factor and there are no other up to date polls. His own NILT polls which are taken as gospel by Unionism, with all the effort to get a representative sample constantly have SDLP out polling SF ie they are next to useless

[armaghniac]

Another new poll showing an increase in support for a United Ireland in the 26 counties and a strong majority in favour of same.
So much for Fearon's nonsense.

[general_lee]

Tick tock

[Orior]

Another new poll showing an increase in support for a United Ireland in the 26 counties and a strong majority in favour of same.
So much for Fearon's nonsense.

Astounding results, considering it is from a newspaper that publishes articles from Nelson McCausland, Lindy McDowell and Ruth Dudley Edwards.

Portadown?!!!
Lisburn?!!!

[armaghniac]

Another new poll showing an increase in support for a United Ireland in the 26 counties and a strong majority in favour of same.
So much for Fearon's nonsense.

Astounding results, considering it is from a newspaper that publishes articles from Nelson McCausland, Lindy McDowell and Ruth Dudley Edwards.

Portadown?!!!
Lisburn?!!!

I think you are confusing the 26 county poll and the Belfast Telegraph one, although both show the same thing! The first is more reliable though.
Carrickfergus remains true blue, however.  I suggest we just give it to Scotland.

[AZOffaly]

Huge difference between "favouring" something in a vox pop,as opposed to considering all the implications then going to a polling station to cast a vote

Have you not just posted a link to a tweet of a picture of one person's letter to a newspaper? Doesn't carry much constitutional weight either, does it?

That's a strike, not a home run. (If I understood the point you were making )

It gets worse.....

I just looked up what BAMF meant.

AZ am I missing something with baseball?... How can you tell from that GIF whether its a stike or hit?
Americans seem to be able to tell no problem, but the only way I can tell is if the camera remains on the batter its a stirke (or ball) or if the camera pans out to where the ball is then its a hit

Catchers reaction. You can see he brings his throwing hand to the mitt, and stands up straight away, looking back at the pitcher. If it was a hit, or a home run, his head would be following the ball, and there'd be no movement to the mitt.

[omaghjoe]

Huge difference between "favouring" something in a vox pop,as opposed to considering all the implications then going to a polling station to cast a vote

Have you not just posted a link to a tweet of a picture of one person's letter to a newspaper? Doesn't carry much constitutional weight either, does it?

That's a strike, not a home run. (If I understood the point you were making )

It gets worse.....

I just looked up what BAMF meant.

AZ am I missing something with baseball?... How can you tell from that GIF whether its a stike or hit?
Americans seem to be able to tell no problem, but the only way I can tell is if the camera remains on the batter its a stirke (or ball) or if the camera pans out to where the ball is then its a hit

Catchers reaction. You can see he brings his throwing hand to the mitt, and stands up straight away, looking back at the pitcher. If it was a hit, or a home run, his head would be following the ball, and there'd be no movement to the mitt.

ahhhh comprendo ahora, gracias

[T Fearon]

Binary polls are meaningless.If the people of the 26 counties ponder the cost (to them) of unity with the North and the cultural accommodation and let's face it,effectively taking on from the British the management of a centuries old tribal fight,manifested in parades disputes etc,they will not be rushing to polling stations to vote for this option.A meaningless vox pop is exactly that...meaningless

[Rois]

Binary polls are meaningless.If the people of the 26 counties ponder the cost (to them) of unity with the North and the cultural accommodation and let's face it,effectively taking on from the British the management of a centuries old tribal fight,manifested in parades disputes etc,they will not be rushing to polling stations to vote for this option.A meaningless vox pop is exactly that...meaningless

Again I ask - less meaningful than a url link to a tweet of a picture of a letter from an individual to a newspaper?
Is a referendum not usually a binary question? If it is, then how can a binary poll be totally meaningless when a referendum asking the same binary question can change a country's future a la Brexit referendum?

[Farrandeelin]

The Tories wouldn't be for Irish unity would they? Till they're voted out there's no chance of a poll.

[armaghniac]

The Tories wouldn't be for Irish unity would they? Till they're voted out there's no chance of a poll.

Arguably, the need to call a poll could be legally challenged if there was evidence of the need to call a poll, for instance if the votes for parties designated unionist fell below those designated nationalist or even if opinion polls showed a trend on this issue. 

However, the Good Friday Agreement and associated Northern Ireland Act also contain reference to the EU, so the current legal challenge will illustrate the extent to which these things can be reviewed by courts

[Lar Naparka]

.In the North,one of the main nationalist parties Westminster members swear oaths of allegiance to the Queen.That is incompatible with a desire for a United Ireland.

Maybe they want a United Ireland under the British Crown
I'd say the main view in the 26 is that we'll wait till a majority in the North wants a U I and sure then we'll see how we can accomodate the whingy whiny bickering hoors.
Meanwhile we'll get on with the economic recovery and wish the Nordies would try and get an economy.

Bang on Ross, you've a way with words!
I think it's fair to say that most people down on the South, while not actively opposing any form of UI, would be slow to sign up for a union without knowing in detail what they would be letting themselves in for.
I believe that it is also fair to say that a feeling of goodwill towards our northern neighbours was widespread at the time of the GFA and in the period leading up to it.
Thereafter, most down here  expected religious and political tensions to die down and that some sort of peaceful co-existence would replace the eternal bickering and flag waving and shit-stirring that has been the norm for centuries.
We've been through almost a full decade of hardship, paying the debts of others and I know there are very few that want to continue shelling out money in order to keep the basket case economy up north ticking over.
The fear of the unknown is almost palpable, especially the probability that there will be a paramilitary backlash from Loyalists unwilling to accept Rome Rule as they see it.
And to cap it all, nobody who is pushing for a UI right here and now, takes the views of the non-nationals into account.  Bear in mind that they make up a significant proportion of the Republic's electorate now.
I don't think many of them would welcome the prospect of a bag of snarling cats being dumped upon us all.




(BTW, I'm in favour of a UI of some sort, which isn't the view of the majority of people I've discussed this matter with.)

[Rossfan]

Meanwhile it would help if SF and SDLP could get Nationalists out voting in big numbers as the Brit Sec of State won't have a "border poll" until the perceived Nationalist vote gets to around the same level as the Unionist vote.

[armaghniac]

Meanwhile it would help if SF and SDLP could get Nationalists out voting in big numbers as the Brit Sec of State won't have a "border poll" until the perceived Nationalist vote gets to around the same level as the Unionist vote.

The problem, as I see it, is that the requirements for a poll do not seem to require a plan and only in England will people vote for something without the least clue how it will work. This was one of the many aspects of the GFA that was a  bit slack. If they is some sort of renegotiation required now with Brexit then some of these issues should be attended to.

[T Fearon]

I see senior Dáil Minister and potential future Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has condemned those of using the Brexit result as an excuse for a "Land Grab".If this does not signify the predominant mindset of those in the freestate,i.e. The North is British and legitimately so,I do not know what does.