A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[johnnycool]

I would have said privatising the NHS was the end goal rather than bumping people off tbh...

Everything is just about making money for their own pockets when it comes to the UK government. If it has side effects of bumping people off so be it.

They've built a whole new block to the Ulster Hospital and it's plain as day it's been built with private medical care in mind.

[Eamonnca1]

Newsletter editorial rant. Reader discretion advised:

Ben Lowry: Unionists and London have consistently failed to challenge Ireland's repeated criticisms of the UK on legacy

To see how weak unionists and the government have been on legacy, consider Leo Varadkar on Friday (this article was first published in the print newspaper on Saturday June 10).

The Irish prime minister had the nerve to say amendments to a Westminster bill aimed at tackling Northern Ireland's past "don't go far enough". He was referring to government attempts to placate nationalist criticisms of the legacy bill, which offers an amnesty for people accused of Troubles crimes if they assist truth recovery. The ever scolding Mr Varadkar said he had raised the issue several times with the prime minister, then said legacy "is one of the few things that all five major parties in Northern Ireland are united on".

Unionists are wholly to blame for the way in which a Taoiseach can imply that they and the IRA are at one on legacy. They have joined with nationalist opposition to the bill, instead of making clear their contempt for how even moderate nationalists now rarely challenge a republican narrative on the past.

Meanwhile, London has moved to shut down legacy rather than take the fight to their tormentors, including an Irish state that refused to extradite IRA murderers over three decades. While Dublin drones on about the amnesty, the UK is too feeble even to cite Ireland's own de facto amnesty for IRA (sic). For years I have said the only response to such Irish hypocrisy is unilateral UK probes into Irish terrorism.

Typo aside, what's Ben waffling about here? Wasn't Mountjoy full of IRA prisoners?

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Portlaoise too.

[FermGael]

I would have said privatising the NHS was the end goal rather than bumping people off tbh...

Everything is just about making money for their own pockets when it comes to the UK government. If it has side effects of bumping people off so be it.

They've built a whole new block to the Ulster Hospital and it's plain as day it's been built with private medical care in mind.

They built a whole new hospital in Enniskillen and it's been as clear as day it was built with private medical care in mind

[clonadmad]

Newsletter editorial rant. Reader discretion advised:

Ben Lowry: Unionists and London have consistently failed to challenge Ireland's repeated criticisms of the UK on legacy

To see how weak unionists and the government have been on legacy, consider Leo Varadkar on Friday (this article was first published in the print newspaper on Saturday June 10).

The Irish prime minister had the nerve to say amendments to a Westminster bill aimed at tackling Northern Ireland's past "don't go far enough". He was referring to government attempts to placate nationalist criticisms of the legacy bill, which offers an amnesty for people accused of Troubles crimes if they assist truth recovery. The ever scolding Mr Varadkar said he had raised the issue several times with the prime minister, then said legacy "is one of the few things that all five major parties in Northern Ireland are united on".

Unionists are wholly to blame for the way in which a Taoiseach can imply that they and the IRA are at one on legacy. They have joined with nationalist opposition to the bill, instead of making clear their contempt for how even moderate nationalists now rarely challenge a republican narrative on the past.

Meanwhile, London has moved to shut down legacy rather than take the fight to their tormentors, including an Irish state that refused to extradite IRA murderers over three decades. While Dublin drones on about the amnesty, the UK is too feeble even to cite Ireland's own de facto amnesty for IRA (sic). For years I have said the only response to such Irish hypocrisy is unilateral UK probes into Irish terrorism.

Typo aside, what's Ben waffling about here? Wasn't Mountjoy full of IRA prisoners?

The South had no issues with executing IRA prisoners right up to the 1940's and had non jury trials in place long before Diplock in the north

He also might bone up on the Emergency Powers Act which is still on the books down here and see what could be used against the IRA

And speaking of probes into terrorism,one should definitely be opened into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and specifically UK state involvement in them.

[Main Street]

I was catching up on some recent political theme programs on Radio Ulster and happened upon Sammy Wilson talk about revisiting the definition of an acceptable majority vote in the context of a AI referendum and that 50 +1 is totally  'unacceptable'. My own opinion is that a future AI referendum be held on the same terms as the Brexit referendum, the results of  which a celebratory DUP (in their wilful ignorance) gleefully imposed upon the NI public.

I appreciate it's not just Sammy  attempting to revisit the the terms of the Belfast Agreement on that matter.

[Eamonnca1]

It's entirely predictable. Their commitment to "democracy" was always contingent on them being in the majority, even if it meant carving a gerrymandered state out of Ulster. As soon as the demographics start to go the other way, expect the goalposts to move again. Repartition will probably be the next rallying cry for unionism.

[93-DY-SAM]

This is a supremacist organisation you are talking about here. They have one goal and one goal only. Lord it over anyone who isn't them especially them Fenians.

[Feckitt]

After the election showing Nationalists considerably outpolling Unionists, and the Census showing Catholics outnumbering Protestants, there was an awful lot of discussion on the election programmes and the days following that Unionists need to reach out to their Catholic neighbours to show that NI is for everybody, and can be shared with a generosity of spirit, and NI can survive by being inclusive and welcoming to Nationalists.  Lots of Unionist commentators, Sam McBride etc where weighing in behind this.  This is how to save the Union, and there are lots of good arguments for NI staying in the UK

HOWEVER,
Since then we have had the UUP on radio arguing that East Belfast GAA do not deserve a pitch and they have some way to go before they can demonstrate they would be acceptable to 'The People'
We have had the DUP in the most openly bigoted way possible objecting to Bi-lingual signs in a South Belfast Leisure Centre.
We have had the BBC/Nolan and Belfast Telegraph and all Unionist parties go apeshit over an annual Republican commemoration in Mullaghbawn. 
We have had the Newsletter publishing lies about alleged sectarian chanting at GAA matches (Not true)
We have had the DUP continuing to Boycott Stormont because they wont play second fiddle to a Fenian First Minister

There is a very clear path on how NI can stay in the UK, but Unionists don't want to go down that road.  NI is finished.  The time for a Unity Referendum is NOW!

[AustinPowers]

It's entirely predictable. Their commitment to "democracy" was always contingent on them being in the majority, even if it meant carving a gerrymandered state out of Ulster. As soon as the demographics start to go the other way, expect the goalposts to move again. Repartition will probably be the next rallying cry for unionism.

They could always  build a wall  around  Larne or Carrickfergus,  have it like a British  enclave, a bit   like the Spanish territory  of Ceuta   in Morocco .

I reckon  nationalists  might settle for  that

[Hereiam]

It might a case of someone looking at what mad ideas west minister would look to introduce to bring the power of balance back to the unionist.
You can be sure there is some think tank working on this as we speak.

[RedHand88]

It might a case of someone looking at what mad ideas west minister would look to introduce to bring the power of balance back to the unionist.
You can be sure there is some think tank working on this as we speak.

They'll ask for a supermajority in a referendum. Or 2/3 of electoral constituencies will be needed to vote yes.

[GiveItToTheShooters]

This notion of a needing a "supermajority" or 50%+1 not being enough is pure rubbish and will never be a requirement in the passing of a border poll.

[GiveItToTheShooters]

Or even "losers consent". That's a new one
50%+1 will be enough whether they like it or not

[HiMucker]

Losers consent is a totally normal concept. Its actually the basis of democracy including 50%+1. Ie, anyone voting in an election is giving losers consent if who/what they vote for doesn't win. I think people are confused when this term has been thrown out there. It's just jargon that's used in political science.
Ps. Examples of elections that do not have losers consent are ones that one side boycotts the election, or says the election is rigged.