Can anyone tell me why the DUP are so hellbent on Brexit....

[Oakenbeach]

.... even if that means we crash out in 31 October? It seems to make no sense for a party whose overriding top priority and raison d’etre is the remain in the UK... Don’t they see this that a no-deal Brexit is the biggest threat to the union for NI in a century? It seems totally insane, far more so even than the mainland British no-dealers! What am I missing?

[RedSheep73]

God knows. Nothing about the DUP makes sense to me!

[MythicalBiologicalFennel]

They are representing the views of the people of Northern Ireland who overwhelmingly voted to leave.

Oh wait...

[Mistigri]

It seems to make no sense

You're talking about a group of people with fundamentalist beliefs - some of them believe that the earth is less than 5000 years old.

Your assumption that this should "make sense" is where you are going wrong

[AngelaScandal]

Because their financial backers want it

[whymewhynow]

DUP are very bad at admitting that they got something wrong (vide: the Ash for Cash scandal which is a large part of the reason that Stormont is still suspended and could have been swiftly solved with a little humility early on). The DUP have never been keen on the Good Friday Agreement and may see the shitshow that will be Brexit as a way of breaking it - the fact that it potentially smashes everything else in the province is by the by. The DUP mainly represent people in the top North East corner of Northern Ireland who feel insulated from the border, many of whom voted Leave themselves. It would be nice to think that the DUP represent NI as a whole but we would be kidding ourselves if we did that.

[bellinisurge]

It fucks over Ireland. It gives them a sense of connection with the rest of the UK. It gives them a chance to screw up GFA (which they hate). They are twats.
Does that answer it?

[placemats]

As a party, the DUP hate the Good Friday Agreement and it hopes that this will be undermined by Brexit.

I think it needs to be careful what it wishes for. A no Deal Brexit will most probably lead to a United Ireland and by dent Scotland also breaking with the Union.

[fairweathercyclist]

If/when the UK breaks up, who will the DUP want a union with? England? Scotland? Be an independent province? Clearly they won't want to unite with the rest of Ireland!

[1tisILeClerc]

fairweathercyclist
I would hope that eventually something changes so that the people in Northern Ireland get the choice of the majority there, rather than the situation at present where the DUP has 'assumed' control.

[placemats]

The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland voted yes for the Good Friday Agreement.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Northern_Ireland_Good_Friday_Agreement_referendum

71% of an 81% turnout in Northern Ireland voted yes.

94% in Ireland voted yes.

That's what I call a conclusive referendum result!

I don't think the DUP will have a say. They are clearly a vocal minority now. Shameful of May to have included them in the Government with a £billion pay off.

[Daddybegood]

Since the early days of Britain's participation in Europe, the DUP have been against European integration.
It was led by Ian Paisley Sr (regarded as an institutional terrorist/fanatical racist throughout Europe) who attended a speech to the EU by the pope, and denounced him as the 'antichrist'.
Freedom of movement meant many European nationals particularly from places like Poland (I.e. predominantly Catholic) could live, work, retire in the province shifting the demographics in favour of Catholics. With the GFA this means that as time goes by a border poll would likely shift in favour of a United Ireland.
But many of those DUP voters in Antrim and Down are concerned they may have miscalculated. A no deal brexit could mean the end of many farms and seemingly the only winner would be the provos (IRA etc) who would use a new border in Ireland as a huge recruiting tool and possibly as a means to reignite terrorism (although they would be aware that bombs/shooting etc are self defeating.)
A solution is ofcourse to have a border in the Irish sea and many brexiteers don't mind the DUP being thrown under a bus, but they hold power in a dodgy bribed coalition and would likely side with Corbyn (oh the irony of siding with someone who has always championed civil rights in n. Ireland) in a confidence vote should they go for this.
In summary, they have really screwed up by supporting brexit but are too thick, bigoted etc to see the damage it will cause themselves....a bit like the rest of the UK

[Shaggydog99]

Hypocrites. Hate the backstop because it makes them different than the rest of th uk, but happy to be different when it comes to marriage equality and abortion.

[Lambbuffet]

@Shaggydog99 happy to be different when it comes to marriage equality and abortion. How does this make them ‘different’ when these views are shared and held dear by the Roman Catholic Church? So are you saying that Roman Catholics who don’t share the same values and beliefs on marriage equality and abortion are hypocrites for going to their church?

[bellinisurge]

No @Lambbuffet , Catholic here btw, what they are saying is that equal marriage and the right to choose are the law of the land in most of the UK. If DUPers want to be part of the UK, they should accept civil rights norms that apply in the UK.

[bellinisurge]

Nobody is making anyone have an abortion - the clue is in right to choose; and no one is making anyone marry someone of the same sex. But in the UK, the law allows people to choose these things if they want to. Basic civil rights.

[Shaggydog99]

@lambbuffet It has nothing to do with an individual going to church, I don't know where you got that from. They are different in that they have different laws than the rest of the UK.

[HigaDequasLuoff]

The Good Friday Agreement, and the existence of the European Union and the fact that both the UK and Eire are members of it, is what has allowed the violence and hatred in Northern Ireland to stop, and allowed people to just get along fine - with those who care about unity with Eire feeling pretty darn united but for a few minor technicalities and their next door neighbours who want unity with the UK also feeling pretty darn united. Everybody wins.

Except for the people who wanted to win by beating their enemies into submission. They don't win because their enemies are still thriving. The DUP hate this peace because it stops them from winning properly.

[Isthisafreename]

@HigaDequasLuoff - please don't refer to Ireland as Éire unless you are speaking Irish. Ireland or The Republic of Ireland are both acceptable.

[PepeLePew]

Wrong thread, sorry. Will slink back off to 50 Books...

[Peregrina]

I am going off at a bit of a tangent here bellinisurge, but there are plenty of Church goers where I live in S E England who are not really happy about same sex marriages. They might just tolerate a civil ceremony but don't like the idea of the Church being asked to perform them.

But I agree with your point - the DUP are only like the rest of the UK when it suits them.

[LifeContinues]

I think it needs to be careful what it wishes for. A no Deal Brexit will most probably lead to a United Ireland and by dent Scotland also breaking with the Union

Thought a United Ireland is what the Irish people wanted?

[bellinisurge]

Then you know fuck all about Ireland.

[LifeContinues]

Then you know fuck all about Ireland

Wow. So help me to know. If NI does not want to unite with ROI what is all the border fuss about?

[TeaKettleBell]

A united Ireland at this stage could be very problematic.
I find the DUP and their support baffling. I have a DUP MP and live in quite a sensible area but people still vote tribally.