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Brexit's hardly been mentioned all week. You think the public's bored stiff?  Has anybody considered how it compromises the constitutional law of Northern Ireland? Like GB we aren't fortunate to have a written constitution, not that that matters much.  EU law and the Belfast Agreement have become woven into our law over the last 30-40 yrs.  We mightn't have had much of a legislative assembly but we certainly had a functioning executive and a rigorous judiciary.  Plenty of talk of 'prerogative power'.  Wonder what our friends in the U.S. would make of our checks and balances?  Is Trump's democracy lesser or greater than ours?

What's your analysis of Nigel Farage and Aaron Banks latest proposal?  Electioneering?

ain't that the truth..

Accurate enough.  Did you hear the one about the time he called for an unnecessary vote?  Michael Gove isn't as half as interesting.  What is the religious breakdown of the new cabinet?  Can you tell by their surnames, or is a more in-depth analysis required?

David Davis is an interesting character. I was hoping MickyG would've been S.O.S.

Any of you read the one about mistaken identity?  Can happen very easily.  Anyway, back to the Great Repeal Act..

I see Brokenshire has been relieved of his responsibilities. What's Karen Brady's position on regulatory alignment and standards?

That's very true. The DUP think that good economics is seeing how far you can stretch out your arm.  Where's NI's self-help in this decision?  Can't see Conservatives putting up with this much longer.

It'll be interesting to see why the DUP pulled the pin. I'd imagine it's not an issue that's going to be smoothed over with another bribe. Could end with a minority Tory government going solo for a while -leading to an election in the near future as the Tories will only accept the tail wagging the dog for a very short period of time.

I think a minority government would survive longer than the mainstream media would have us believe.  IMO the middle ground Labour MPs that rarely get the headlines but accept brexit don't have the appetite for another election, don't want to risk further damage to UK business and actually put their voters first.  If the DUP don't accept "regulatory alignment" then they'll not accept any single markets differences.  I think think if they consulted their voters they'd find that these freedoms are very important, particularly in relation to trade.  I reckon the PM's ready to cut them loose.

Rumours in tomorrow's papers that the Brits are beginning to cave. Not a border in the Irish sea, you understand, but "devolving a package of powers to Northern Ireland to enable customs convergence with the Irish Republic on areas such as agriculture".
This is the minimum required, but probably not enough.

Notwithstanding sounding off by the likes of Fox, the British seem to be making a real effort to get a deal before the summit.

Is this a special status that would be agreeable to the DUP?

Charles Tannock Conservative MEP has proposed that NI have a referendum on membership of the customs union.  Also interesting day at the Exiting the EU select committee.  It seems to me that harmonisation of regulations and standards is going to continue regardless of what happens in GB.  So much for 'Taking back control of our Borders'.

[Like it or not if you are born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland you are a subject of Elizabeth the Second whereas in the Republic you would be a citizen]

He's just a jealous west brit

Like it or not if you are born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland you are a subject of Elizabeth the Second whereas in the Republic you would be a citizen.

Don't be too upset. You are in good company

No you're not.  Technically I'm both a British and Irish citizen, though in my day to day life I choose to identify as Irish.  Ironically one of the qualifications to be one of the few "British subjects" still around is to be born in the 26 counties before 1949, so your Da or Granda might be a British subject, but very few others are.  The "subject" designation was done away with in 1983 and cannot be passed on unless subsequently altered by the two sovereign nations.

Close this thread and open another called EU citizens watch.

On second thoughts, I'll not baw going Tues night...

Like, really, what was the reasoning behind that?

"Keep those entries coming
Leave those cameras running
Keep those entrails coming
Leave those soldiers gunning"

Brussels and the Irish govt want to keep NI in the customs union and Single market to protect the GFA and avoid a hard border. The UK govt doesn't want this because it is dependent on the DUP for its majority. The DUP would pauperise its own people.

This is it in a nutshell. The next few weeks are critical in the history of this island. The current Tory Government is the worst in my  lifetime, I feel sorry for the PM as she is clearly out of her depth but she is dependant on the DUP to save her. The same DUP whose political analysis and vision is being laid bare at the opening days of the RHI Inquiry, expertly summarised by Conor McAuley on BBC. So if David Davis maintains his position of no boundary or border in the UK we are headed for No Deal, Hard Brexit and economic disaster for both jurisdictions in Ireland.If anyone on here has any contact with someone in the DUP who has any sense, ask them if they really want this to happen ? Or is Lisa Evans the official spokesperson for progressive unionism?

Don't know what age you are but the early 1980s were desperate times.  Both UK and Eire have had a few prosperous decades since then, undoubtedly as a result of the common market.  The UK population - and arguably that of ROI  - are fed up with the freedom of movement of labour.   For NI to remain in the single market is non-negotiable.  Custom unions have always been an accounting exercise and understandably that's why Remainer May is trying to argue that the Brexit bill of £Xm can't be agreed until the future trade arrangements are agreed.  The DUP are only a temporary distraction, we're already in the midst of a cliff-edge Brexit.  It may take a Johnson/Gove/Leadsom leadership to lead the British people where they really want to go.  Or perhaps Nigel Dodds given that gushing praise last week..