Good Friday Agreement

[CatherineTheLate]

It's often said (and this has been repeated here) that we cannot have a hard border with Ireland because of the Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement). Obviously, this would only apply to goods anyway because the UK and Ireland have a Common Travel Area which predates the EU and its predecessors, but can someone point out to me which part of the GFA it would breach?

You can get a copy of the GFA here www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/136652/agreement.pdf and its only 35 pages long so it won't take long to read. Remainers will obviously be very keen to show me.

[BackInTime]

Don't you realise that the people who voted Remain in NI are people who wanted the status quo. Not all nationalists. Bloody hell. Do you really not know this?

I agree, think what many people fail to understand is that the majority of people in NI and the ROI are perfectly happy with the status quo. They seem to think that the ROI has some ulterior motive of trying to punish Britain for the past by scuppering Brexit because ultimately they want reunification.

Let's get this clear, people in NI & ROI prioritise the status quo and peace and prosperity above all else. They have lived through years of trauma and violence and absolutely do not want to do anything that risks a return to this.

The ROI has recently come through a pretty tough recession and in such a small country everyone was affected by this and it is very much in the forefront of people's minds. People lost homes, jobs businesses and now they are having to face the possibility of a further recession due to Brexit. People there are watching in total horror at the idea that the a future PM is actively campaigning to throw the economy off a cliff with a no deal Brexit and that he has the support of lots of people who are actually calling for this to happen.

[lljkk]

I don't pretend to understand much about Irish border.

Apparently this is what the border looked like in 1972.

1972 is before UK or Ireland were in EU yet during the "common travel area" era (1952-1997+).

Somehow, the common travel area status didn't stop a very hard border from being in place a lot of the time.

Conclusion: CTA does not preclude a hard border in northern Ireland.

[bellinisurge]

"Conclusion: CTA does not preclude a hard border in northern Ireland."
Bloody obviously.

[Isthisafreename]

@lljkk - Conclusion: CTA does not preclude a hard border in northern Ireland.

I don't understand your point? Nobody has claimed the CTA precludes a hard border. However, the GFA does as a hard border means the cross-border co-operative measures that have been implemented as part of the GFA would not be possible.

[bellinisurge]

Perhaps some Brexiteer loons have claimed CTA is the solution. Just the kind of dozy fuckery they would come out with.