What do people think is most likely to happen with the Irish/UK border?

[coffeclub]

What is the most likely solution?

Yes, Ireland is quite a cool little conundrum. Manages to punch above its weight usually. Plus I like the Irish people.

ie: why don't we just leave it as it is now but with with UK out of EU?

The big problem is trade. Leaving the border "as it is now" would fall foul of WTO rules, not to mention being completely unacceptable to the EU - unless NI remains inside the customs union. So the obvious answer is for NI to remain inside the customs union (and preferably the single market).

I don't think the cross-border migration issue is as big a problem as some on the remain side are making out, especially as the Uk govt clearly intends employers, banks and landlords to do most of their "border controls" for them.

I always think of Ireland as the rather annoying and misbehaved little sister, who you love, but hangs around and takes over everything. grin
Then gets drunk and makes a show of the EU (the grown-ups).

Do you realise how patronising this sounds? To imply that Ireland isn't sensible enough to be one of the "grown-ups" and trot out the old drunken Irish stereotype.

No, but reading it back, maybe it did. I do love Irish people though. They just seem to get away with things that no other state would. Like the annoying sister.

Could you give some examples of things Ireland "gets away with" ?

Low corporate tax rate for a start.
Having the power to hold referendums before the EU can make a move (think Lisbon treaty etc.).

Remaining militarily neutral in a highly militarised Union.

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but they do appear to rather unique.

Countries are able to set their own corporation tax rates (and all others as far as I am aware) - the UK's, for example, has dropped from 30% in 2006 to 19% in the forthcoming tax year, all changes have taken place while an EU member. According to this website, Cyprus has the same rate of corporation tax as Ireland and Bulgaria, also an EU member, has a lower rate of 10%.

Countries are able to hold referenda should they choose to. The UK holds relatively few but has never been stopped from doing so; the Irish constitution stipulates that anything that affects the constitution has to be put to a plebiscite - it is nothing to do with the EU. Italy also holds a relatively high number of referenda, as does Switzerland which is an EFTA member. Your examples make no sense.

Switzerland, as previously mentioned an EFTA member and therefore abiding by most EU rules, is also allowed to remain neutral. Finland, a full EU member, is also neutral as is, I believe, Austria, another full member . So no, not unique for any of the reasons you have given.

Yet Ireland goes renegade and benefits hugely.

Ireland also holds a veto over EU law changes. Nice and Lisbon treaties are two examples. No other country can.

What's your point?

I always think of Ireland as the rather annoying and misbehaved little sister, who you love, but hangs around and takes over everything. grin
Then gets drunk and makes a show of the EU (the grown-ups).

I'll probably get deleted for this, but fuck off.

What's your point? You're talking rubbish.

Has Martina gone to bed or what? Her "no border" suggestion was pants though no matter what side you are on.

It is an intractible problem..... for the UK really when you think about it. Especially WRT pesky immigrants sneaking up from Dublin or wherever in ROI to get to the UK.

But maybe post Brexit the UK will not be that desirable anymore, who knows.

Casual racism dressed up in a hahahahah aren't the Irish a jolly infantile bunch. Except it's not all that dressed up.

All I'm saying is that Ireland holds a lot of sway despite not being one of the bigger players.

Casual racism is right. But I dislike with intensity UKIP anyway.

Trouble is, the casual racists are everywhere and would baulk at being associated with anything like UKIP. Funny that.

Soupy, if you read my posts, my implication is that the Irish are underestimated and more powerful than a lot give them credit for. They are far from infantile. I think the EU may have underestimated them but have learned over the years that they are a force to be reckoned with and listened to.

The current shitstorm about the Irish border being another thing that just causes the EU a massive headache.

Casual racism dressed up in a hahahahah aren't the Irish a jolly infantile bunch. Except it's not all that dressed up.

This.

Much and all as the EU would love to not have to deal with the Irish border, they are going to have to.

As far as I know, Irish people are not a race of their own. Nor have any of my posts been negative about Irish people.

Liv, you're the one who used the word infantile.