A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[Armagh18]

Nay, I lived here all my life, know the score with people outside of Sinn Fein and Dup voters. Anybody thinking they win a border poll [which i would vote for] living in dreamland. Make a mess of the first one. You wouldn't see another for 20 years.

Anyone using the NHS as a pro Brit argument is completely uneducated. It's the tired lazy line you would have heard for years and obviously at a time it was true, but the nhs is a mess and getting worse.

I think it's going to be closer than you would think. The biggest pro UK argument is the NHS. I can only assume these people haven't been ill in years. The NHS is completely stuffed and anyone with any sense knows this.

[armaghniac]

Nay, I lived here all my life, know the score with people outside of Sinn Fein and Dup voters. Anybody thinking they win a border poll [which i would vote for] living in dreamland. Make a mess of the first one. You wouldn't see another for 20 years.

Anyone using the NHS as a pro Brit argument is completely uneducated. It's the tired lazy line you would have heard for years and obviously at a time it was true, but the nhs is a mess and getting worse.

I think it's going to be closer than you would think. The biggest pro UK argument is the NHS. I can only assume these people haven't been ill in years. The NHS is completely stuffed and anyone with any sense knows this.

What about the BBC iPlayer?

[Main Street]

What about the BBC iPlayer?

Whataboutery

[Brendan]

Residents in a mixed estate speaking out on the news against Loyalist paramilitary intimidation over flags, don't think I've seen that before, takes balls, I worry how it will end for them when all the PSNI can do is "engage with local community reps"

[weareros]

The NI Time Life & Times survey has always delivered the most pro-Union results. The latest will surely shock Unionists. When you click in and review the survey itself, the people describing themselves as British only has fairly declined.  Link:

https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2024/Political_Attitudes/

From the Irish News:

Gap between Irish unity supporters and unionists halves within 12 months
The Northern Ireland Life & Times Survey shows for the first time that a greater number of young people support Irish unity

The gap between those advocating Irish unity and those who believe in maintaining the union has halved in the space of a year, according to the latest Northern Ireland Life & Times Survey.

The proportion supporting the constitutional status quo dropped by five percentage points year-on-year to 42%, while the number in favour of Irish unification increased by a single point to 36% – a difference of six percentage points.

In the previous 2023 survey, the difference between the two opposing groups was 12 percentage points, and two years before that it stood at 23 percentage points.

Elsewhere, the research conducted annually by Queen's University and Ulster University shows a greater number in the youngest cohort supporting unity for the first time.

Of the 18-24 year-olds questioned, 48% back unification, compared to 30% who are opposed to constitutional change and 12% who don't know.

The research also indicates that a majority of people – some 61% – are convinced Ireland will be united at some point in the next 20 years, with just 16% believing the region's constitutional status won't change.

Brexit appears to be one of the key drivers in growing support for Irish unity. Some 37% said the UK leaving the European Union made them feel more in favour of a united Ireland, compared to 9% who said it meant they were less in favour. However, 45% who said Brexit made no difference.

Colum Eastwood, former SDLP leader and chair of the party's New Ireland Commission, described the survey results as "really positive and heartening".

The Foyle MP said there was a "small health warning with all polling" but that the overall trend pointed to "consistent levels of support for a new Ireland".

He said the campaign for unity had yet to truly begin but already there was evidence of a "growing group of persuadables - especially younger people who are hungry for change".

"The work that the New Ireland Commission is doing is aimed at people who recognise that what we have right now isn't as good as it gets and that constitutional change could deliver better," he said.

"We're exploring the issues that matter to them and the kind of new society they want to be a part of. We're very optimistic about the prospectus for change."

Historian and Irish News columnist Brian Feeney said the narrowing of the gap between supporters of unity and advocates of the union since 2020 was "really remarkable".

"A lot of the figures indicate changes in political sentiment but they also demonstrate rapidly changing demography with the unionist population on a down escalator which is accelerating," he said.

"This statistical trend has been seen in recent elections. The nationalist majority in universities is obvious and there's an even greater majority in Catholic schools whose pupils will soon join the electoral register – all of which should impress on the Irish government the need to begin urgent preparations for an inevitable referendum."

The Ireland's Future board member said it was "irresponsible to ignore what the figures clearly foretell".

[From the Bunker]

Jez, remember when a United Ireland was an important issue. The way it's going there will be no Irish people on the Island to unite. 

[Milltown Row2]

Jez, remember when a United Ireland was an important issue. The way it's going there will be no Irish people on the Island to unite. 

What a miserable life you must have

[From the Bunker]

Jez, remember when a United Ireland was an important issue. The way it's going there will be no Irish people on the Island to unite. 

What a miserable life you must have

Google Sweden Immigration crisis - there are plenty of news articles to on this topic to see what is ahead for us.

[Milltown Row2]

Jez, remember when a United Ireland was an important issue. The way it's going there will be no Irish people on the Island to unite. 

What a miserable life you must have

Google Sweden Immigration crisis - there are plenty of news articles to on this topic to see what is ahead for us.

There's your problem straight away.... Google!!

Enjoy your life, it's a very short one, worrying about things will make it a short miserable life!

You ain't going to stop it and changing governments won't either

[JoG2]

The scamdemic sheep shuffle to the world of fascism

[From the Bunker]

Jez, remember when a United Ireland was an important issue. The way it's going there will be no Irish people on the Island to unite. 

What a miserable life you must have

Google Sweden Immigration crisis - there are plenty of news articles to on this topic to see what is ahead for us.

There's your problem straight away.... Google!!

Enjoy your life, it's a very short one, worrying about things will make it a short miserable life!

You ain't going to stop it and changing governments won't either

There's your problem - head buried in the sand. Naturally it's not really our problem - 20 years will see us out. Leave the mess to the next crowd.

It beats me how people can come on here and comment about a united Ireland and completely ignore our growing immigration crisis.

As for Changing Governments Sinn Fein are worst the the crowd that are in.

[Truthsayer]

Jez, remember when a United Ireland was an important issue. The way it's going there will be no Irish people on the Island to unite. 

What a miserable life you must have

Google Sweden Immigration crisis - there are plenty of news articles to on this topic to see what is ahead for us.

There's your problem straight away.... Google!!

Enjoy your life, it's a very short one, worrying about things will make it a short miserable life!

You ain't going to stop it and changing governments won't either

There's your problem - head buried in the sand. Naturally it's not really our problem - 20 years will see us out. Leave the mess to the next crowd.

It beats me how people can come on here and comment about a united Ireland and completely ignore our growing immigration crisis.

As for Changing Governments Sinn Fein are worst the the crowd that are in.

Isn't there a far right thread on the Board for this loyalist/Coolock rhetoric?

[From the Bunker]

Isn't there a far right thread on the Board for this loyalist/Coolock rhetoric?

Is this not a united Ireland issue?

footnote:

Sweden is offering €34K to immigrants to return home. The fascists! 

[Milltown Row2]

If Tommy Robinson was in charge it's still going to be the same...

Either of these things, a UI or the rise in immigration/asylum will have a small bearing on things.

I think social media makes things a lot worse in lots of different ways.

Look after your health and your family.

People coming to these shores will continue, if I grew up in one of those countries I'd be making my way here too, unless governments around the globe make their homelands safe, uncorrupt, fair, democratic, and so on then people will continue to take perilous journeys for a better life. And who can blame them.

Stop problem at source, fix problem at source that'll stop the people coming..

Keep voting in the same government every year and keep getting the same results is what?

[From the Bunker]

If Tommy Robinson was in charge it's still going to be the same...

Either of these things, a UI or the rise in immigration/asylum will have a small bearing on things.

I think social media makes things a lot worse in lots of different ways.

Look after your health and your family.

People coming to these shores will continue, if I grew up in one of those countries I'd be making my way here too, unless governments around the globe make their homelands safe, uncorrupt, fair, democratic, and so on then people will continue to take perilous journeys for a better life. And who can blame them.

Stop problem at source, fix problem at source that'll stop the people coming..

Keep voting in the same government every year and keep getting the same results is what?

Can't say i disagree with any of that. Thank you for coming back with a reasonable reply and not resorting to the cheap lazy labelling such as Far Right, Fascist or Racist. In the main there are very few in those categories in Ireland.