A United Ireland

[poppiesallykatie]

Not a goady thread or to stir, but how many are against it or for it? Obviously many in NI want to part of the Republic, many in NI want to part of Great Britain, how do the British people feel about it?

Oh, and education.

Auntiepatricia
The education is a very good standard. The cost of living is higher but wages mostly do reflect it. There is also an incentive for low paid workers called FIS. Unlike the tax credit if they fuck up and overpay it's their fault, they won't starve you. Social welfare is nearly triple that of NI. I think 186euro a wk for a single person.
Other than health services it is ok.
Rents are getting much higher in NI as it is.

the standard of living in Northern Ireland is much lower than the republic

Erm, where did you get that from? That's nonsense.

However it's true that people in the north are used to FAR more state support than those in the Republic. Adjusting to that might be difficult for even the most
die hard NI republicans.

I live in Dublin and see very little appetite for a united ireland there. Particularly as it's only being tabled as a way of getting the brits out of their brexit mess. Everyone's sick to death of being expected to pick up the pieces because the UK can't be arsed.

You might be surprised. No one believed the UK would vote to really leave the EU, hey ho it is happening.

I would really hope it doesn't come to that. Like has been mentioned the cultural differences between the 2 countries are huge. To me NI is a very separate country with which we have little in common except we share the same land mass. I don't think the two merging could ever go smoothly for so many reasons. The strain it would put on our economy would be enormous and lead to a lot of resentment and unrest.

What would be the positives for us if NI joined us? I can't think of a single one. I suppose that is why I struggle to see how a vote for reunification could be won in ROI.

I personally think the rest of the UK should join Ireland and federalize as a single Republic. It immediately solves the NI issue and means we actually get a diversity of opinion in our politics as Ireland/Wales/Scotland will be more than enough together to counteract the wankers at Westminster. As you may tell, I am an annoyed English women. At present our WM politicians appear to ignore anyone who lives outside of the M25.

Speaking of which, let's relocate parliament. Liverpool would work as it's much closer to Scotland/Wales/Ireland and it's closer to the centre of England. Bonus points: they would need upgrade the northern train connections.

I read the thread to find out what the rest of the UK think about a united Ireland and there are hardly any posts from people from the rest of the UK, despite that being the question posted.

Many thanks to the usual posters from the rest of the UK who do care. There certainly doesn't seem to be a strong appetite for keeping NI as part of the precious Union, and there doesn't seem to be a strong shared identity with people from NI.

For what it's worth I am pro a United Ireland. But only if there is a recognition that Unionists have their own culture for the past 400 years and are for 400 years part of this island. That has to be recognised by themselves as much as by the rest of the country. Nobody in the US that have been there for 100 years not to mind 400 sees themselves as anything other than American though they do recognise they have unique heritage and culture as being part of being American. They don't see themselves as Irish or Italian or Polish or Welsh.

I live in roi and, although people and parties pay lip service to the idea of a United Ireland, if they actually had to vote on it I don't think there's any way it would be majority in favour. We just can't afford it. I also think Dublin would not be happy to have interference from northern politicians. People like the idea of it, but the reality, not so much.

I read the thread to find out what the rest of the UK think about a united Ireland

I'm guessing most British people don't think about it much at all, and/or don't care. Or we think it's none of our business. Yes and no on the latter... it's not our decision but Britain bears a responsibility.

My view is that the British position should be to honour the GFA - it should remain in force up until such time as there might be referenda in both ROI and NI which supported reunification. When/if that happens (I don't know the probability) then the British must fully support that decision, which will almost certainly include financially.

The British HAVE to honour the GFA - it's a legally binding international treaty. It isn't optional.

It would be interesting to re-visit this thread in a hundred years time.

I doubt if a united Ireland will come about in the foreseeable future but who knows for sure?

The North today isn't the country that it once was, and neither is the south. Things change. Times change. People change. Slowly, slowly, slowly... but it does change.

There was once a time, not so long ago, when the re-unification of Germany seemed an impossibility. Look where we are now.

After the Republic opted to remain neutral during WWII Churchill offered 'the principle' of a united Ireland to de Valera in exchange for the Republic joining the Allied Forces. But the offer was rejected.

I used to think it wouldn't happen, but sometimes a seismic event, like a revolution or a war can trigger things off in more ways than one. Maybe in years to come historians will see Brexit as the start of the journey towards to a united Ireland.

I think that aside from the economic arguments, a unified Ireland would attract a lot of 'goodwill, from around the globe. I believe that some of the costs involved could be offset in the medium to longer term by the benefits of being in a single nation able to function with a greater critical mass than currently.

Either way, it is more important than anything else that the peace continues.

I personally think the rest of the UK should join Ireland and federalize as a single Republic.

Do you think it'd be nice to ask Ireland ? Or just tell them what they're getting and let them suck it up ?

The only thing that would put me off a United Ireland is living cheek by jowl with Unionists who indulge in sectarian marches. I am a bit surprised by one of the first posters who spoke about the standard of living being lower in the Republic. The standard of living is very high here but things are more expensive, definitely. Seeing a doctor is very expensive unless you have a medical card but I don't mind paying because usually I can see one either that day or the day after. NI is very poor compared to the Republic.

I would like to see a united Ireland and I'm hoping that one day it might be so.

DGRossetti because the British just telling the Irish what they're getting and letting them suck it up went so well for them ...

Try to buy a yogurt down South and you’ll quickly leg it back up the road to the North. Not to mention a house. My friends house in Dublin is worth £600k. Equilivent house, equilivent area in Belfast you could pick up for £140k, maybe less. We don’t even pay for prescriptions here let alone the minimum £50 it costs in ROI to see a GP. Education is free and excellent, our houses are cheap and easy to live close to where you need to be if you want. Very family orientated communities, lots of family focused activities. Actually a very high standard of living albeit with lower incomes. Cost of living is even lower than the difference in incomes. It’s a great place to live as long as the troubles stay firmly in the past.

A well thought out argument? Yes, the majority of people in NI want to be part of the UK. They are British.

Eire? You mean Ireland, since you're writing in English.

Ni doesnt serm to have a proper identity, its like the child of a parent who doesnt know who it is or what it wants to be, so it looks to mum saying 'but i think i feel like you'.

Actually “Northern Irish” has grown as an idenity in the last 20 years, principally among young people from a unionist background. It definitely exists - perhaps as a middle ground between wholly British and wholly Irish.

Wow Shepherd, that’s a special kind of bigotry. I thought all we had to worry about was the bigotry of some nationalists and some loyalists. Blown away by your post. Ignorance at its finest.

I think that aside from the economic arguments, a unified Ireland would attract a lot of 'goodwill, from around the globe.

Ireland already has a lot of goodwill around the globe. I don't see why we need to adopt a non self supporting country that no one else appears to want for 'goodwill'.

If anyone should be looking for goodwill it's the UK with the mess they are leaving around the place.

The only thing that would put me off a United Ireland is living cheek by jowl with Unionists who indulge in sectarian marches

Orange marches already take place in the Republic of Ireland, and pass off peacefully.

The only thing that would put me off a United Ireland is living cheek by jowl with Unionists who indulge in sectarian marches

Don't go and live in Scotland then.

Also Unionist does not = indulging in sectarian marches.

Actually “Northern Irish” has grown as an idenity in the last 20 years, principally among young people from a unionist background.

I shared with a guy from Ballycastle in the mid 80s, and he was definitely Irish. Curiously enough he wasn't at all interested in a union, but his older brother was a bit of a Republican. So it's a subject that can quite happily divide families.