Given that the Telegraph is the mouthpiece of the current UK government and its prime minister, and that I just read this article in the Irish Times, I’d suggest that, following the meeting yesterday between the Taoiseach and the idiot Johnson, the DUP is about to be thrown under the bus.
For the implications on peace, on the economies of Northern Ireland and Scotland, the possible reaction in Brussels…over to you!
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MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
I think this cunning plan may be to,exactly as you say,leave NI as effectively part of the EU and present parliament with a deal,allowing an immediate GE to take place.
Good bye to the Democratic part of the Conservative and Democratic Unionist party.
Seem to remember when Olly was negotiating May’s deal with the EU that he demanded that any deal for NI must not apply to Scotland.
NI is a burden to Westminster but Scotland clearly isn’t.
Hope Scots begin to realise that perhaps we are not too poor after all.
Democratic deficit writ large,NI votes to remain along with Scotland but only the NI electorate are respected.
We shall see.
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Excellent point. Wales and England get what they wanted; Northern Ireland gets some sort of compromise of what it voted for and Scotland gets told to sod off.
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Scotland wants to sod off it Westminster that won’t let them
SAOR ALBA GU BRATH 🏴🏴🏴🏴 my friend
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LOL. True, Brian.
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The obvious answer and it is the solution which dare not speak its name; return the rump of the six counties back to where they belong, viz one Ireland. Problems about back stop, block to negotiated exit, ete, solved.
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I’m not sure that Leo Varadkar is that keen on a united Ireland in the near future. In the last few weeks he said he was doubtful of a referendum in the north being a solution to Brexit. I suspect that he is thinking that the loyalists would then become his problem.
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Well, god knows, you wouldn’t want them in your country would you.
I’m a bit concerned that Forster has said she would leave NI if it unified with Ireland, which could mean that she’d end up in Scotland heading up some more of their flute marches.
I can certainly sympathise with Leo!
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Once Ireland is reunified
The loyalists will have nothing to be loyal to
Reunification of Ireland is not a factor in determining brexit
One can easily be done without the other
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I’m sure they will find something.
The Queen over the water….
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Unless the rest of them come over here?
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Well, a lot of the Brexiteers just thought that Eire should leave the EU along with England and that would solve the problem. The only thing is that 90+% of the Irish population wanted (according to polls) to stay… so why not the other way round?
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DUmPed
😉
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LOL…
Shame, aye?
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Exactly. The DUP are going to be heard squealing quite soon along with a few in the ERG.
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I’m confused here.
Last year there was a suggestion of border controls down the middle of the Irish sea and the D.U.P. were apoplectic with rage at the very thought of such a thing happening. Now we have the prospect of not one but two borders, one down the actual border between Eire and N.I. and the other down the Irish sea. Can’t wait till we hear how the Flat Earth society and Dinosaur Denial party responds to this idea. I’m thinking they will be neutral as a result of their joy of border controls with Eire cue troubles restarting, lest we forget here the Flat Earthers were never supporters of the Good Friday Agreement. This *coughs* good news for the Flat Earth and Dinosaur Denial party is coupled, no doubt, with their continued anger about the border down the Irish sea … unless of course Back Door has managed to placate them with another huge bung delivered in another brown envelope!
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Of course there will be another brown envelope , much bigger than the last but the secret ingredient to the potion is getting the EU and Ireland to agree to the idea of a review of the border in the Irish Sea every few years , I think they will agree to it which will leave the soon to be reconvened Stormont assembly to decide if the border in the Irish Sea stays or reunification is considered via a neverendum referendum every few years.
It gives the catholic community a reunification referendum every few years forever or until reunification happens.
It gives the Protestant unionist community limited time in pole position
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Do you think there is much chance of the assembly reconvening?
I realise that there is a deadline hanging over them regarding, some laws which the Brits have passed in London (I can’t remember whether it is on abortion or same sex marriage… but it’s something that winds the DUP right up so tight that they may well burst) so that may encourage them to cave on the Irish language.
The idea that the NI assembly gets to decide on something this important is one I approve of… but only if the powers are devolved to all of us.
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Of course, NI could become independent.
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I wish them luck with that!
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I’m thinking the bung this time will have to be massive… and maybe a seat in the Lords for Arlene
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Well well well well well… I’ ve been off line most of today so far, so I hadn’t picked up on this.
***WARNING: THIS RANT MAY OFFEND THOSE OF A NERVOUS DISPOSITION etc.***
Alert Munguinites may remember that Cassandra at one point mooted this very thing that the Boris is rumoured to be going after with Varadkar (fancy that, the Wirral becoming England’s Camp David). She said too that the Boris may choose to dump Scotland as well.
So – the Scottish Government in general and oor Nicola in particular must CUT UP AS ROUGH AS POSSIBLE, be a stone in Their shoe, a thorn in Their side, a fly in Their claret, whatever, to increase the chances of the Boris ending the Union. Of course, Boris will say that he’s graciously allowing Scotland to leave the United Kingdom, because he’s too English exceptionalist to feel in his gut that England, England&Wales and England&Scotland&Wales are not synonyms, and for the PR he would prefer to be seen as graciously granting us our independence in ending the Union rather than be known as the Prime Minister who lost Scotland. It will not be a difficult sell down south, because the decades-long barrage of Cringe-inducing too wee, too poor and too stupid propaganda has convinced most punters down there that are, in Nigel Farages’ immortal words, chucking money over Hadrian’s Wall.
I look forward to some fireworks at the SNP party conference this weekend – let’s hope there’s some details forthcoming later today. After all, the Friday evening news dump is the favoured time for putting out difficult news… Anyway, I like fireworks, though I know it’s not good for people’s animals, and they would brighten up this otherwise dreich time of year.
It would be so gratifying to see Fragrant Arlene and her Dancing Dinosaur Deniers thrown under the bus. It really couldn’t happen to nicer people. Dunno what we’ll do about them afterwards, of course: betcha neither Leo Varadkar nor Nicola Sturgeon fancies having to deal with the ones who remain in Ireland or the ones who leave for Scotland to pursue their careers in sectarianism over here.
It would be possibly more gratifying, if closer to home, if Boris throws Scottish Unionists under the bus as well. As has been remarked, it will be interesting to see how they process the fact that they’ve nothing to be loyal to any more.
If special arrangements and extremely large brown envelopes are produced that benefit NI, then we here in Scotland should bloody well get them too, mutatis mutandis – so I expect our people in the House of Communes will shout out very loud and angrily and long about it. Stick all possible spokes in Boris’s wheel! And put the thumbscrews on him, and be as bloody bolshie as possible, to get as many concessions from him as possible.
The man’s a genital organ, whichever way you look at him, so nice clean, sweet reason isn’t much use against him. Being a genital organ as he is, the only thing to do is screw him over to the extent possible. (Red hot pokers come to mind, but that’s probably just me.)
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Sheesh – proofreading fail – the English punters are convinced that THEY are throwing money etc.
Let’s hope there is more information forthcoming – I meant details of the possible deal with Varadkar so that the party conference has something to chew on. It wouldn’t surprise me, though, if any press releases are embargoed until next week, just to spite the SNP and f*uck us over one more time.
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Er next give a heads up wid this
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Can’t really disagree with that.
I suspect Boris has someone checking to see if they could afford to do without Scotland’s money.
Clearly the Telegraph is talking about how much NI costs “decent taxpayers up and down the country”, in order to persuade them that the break-up of the UK is worth it (on the basis that nothing talks louder than money).
They’ve been telling us for years how much they subsidise us.
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I can’t meself see the DUP
amongst other Unionists
Being happy moving incrementaly towards a
United Eire.
Unfortunately they may get
A hard lesson in Tory loyalty
So under the bus 🚎 they must
Go.
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They were only useful when they were useful.
When that ceased (there’s only 10 of them and he has a minority government of 40 something)… they became expendable.
And let’s face it, if he needs them again a couple of billion of our money can easily be found.
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If the DUP is to be thrown under the bus, it should surely be a Wright bus made in Norn Iern, preferably one of the “Boris Bus” models they made. Oh, but wait, they just went bust the other week, didn’t they?
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Still, I’m sure Boris can paint one up for them.
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What is it, that the body politic in England are too frightened to be independent? we should turn the question around.
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It’s just another symptom of Post Imperial Withdrawal Syndrome. Sadly the only effective treatment for this lingering ailment is very unpleasant Shock Therapy!
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Northern Ireland is about to get what it voted for – to effectively remain in the EU. Lucky Buggers. Meanwhile Scotland is about to be more screwed than the most popular employee in a brothel. And what are the SNP going to do about it? It bloody better be more than repeatedly ASK for a section 30 order and take no for an answer.
I don’t want to end my days in Greater England so Nicola you’d better have plan to get Scotland out of this or move over and let someone who does take over instead.
Gosh my blood pressure… (Sorry for the coarseness!)
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Agree entirely. It’s beginning to appear that NS is not interested in rapidly pursuing Ind. As time goes the opportunities recede. Things are going badly wrong on several fronts (NHS hospital debacle, parking tax, gender assignment issues, etc) and opposition are making great play of these. Establishment is waiting for announcement of ref and they will announce AS trial. MSM will then have an open goal for adverse publicity. Must question current strategy.
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I am hearing the phrase “UK Customs Union” being bandied about again by the Brexiteers.
Is this an admission by the Westminster establishment that the UK is a multi national entity ?
You don’t hear about the German customs union or the French customs union because they are single entity states who are members of a multinational entity (EEA).
They (Unionists) can’t have it both ways.
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Germany is a federal republic. They would be more likely to have an internal market than we are. But, you’re right. They don’t.
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The twists and turns are getting faster, much like liquid entering the vortex in preparation for going down the drain.
NI reunification was inevitable, it would happen probably within 15 years due to demographic change, faster with a few hard winters. An English inspired brexit has changed things in NI, more talk of “We’re Ulster Irish” replacing “We’re British”. In an area where identity is important this is significant. A split with the UK, if not full reunification is imminent. I hope any immediate moves towards reunification has a long transition/bedding in period.
Scotland is a prize that will be hard to prise out of their grasp. With a no deal, “clean break” brexit and we are off, out of the union, or we should be otherwise we deserve all that is thrown our way. A deal involving Irish sea border, separate customs for NI, etc has the worst potential for Scotland.
B Johnson is working to take 12%+ or so away from the Brexit Party, a similar 12 to 14% of the indy vote could also be made to evaporate, keeping Scotland in the Union. Now how would that be for legacy and an ego stroke for the thatch topped genital organ? (Nod to Eddjas)
The Scottish Government argues for an extended border from the Irish sea, to go in at the Solway Firth and out at Berwick on Tweed, or a “special” Scottish customs single market arrangement. Westminster makes noises, wrings hands and in an act of capitulation, worthy of a bafta, comes up with a deal called “devo devo max with golden balls included”, home rule, federal self guv, anything to make it appear sunny in order to evaporate those votes. It won’t take much to take the indy vote back to the hard core 45%.
I used to be a glass half full person. Now? That glass is too bloody big for purpose, or what baastirt gave a short measure. I blame Westminster and Brexit, though not exclusively.
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I really hope that this is a game-changer.
If NI gets to effectively stay in the EU, with all the benefits (remembering a NI citizen can have an Irish/EU passport too), then Scotland will be hugely disadvantaged be remaining with the albatross of the UK round its neck and massive tariffs.
Surely that would stir all but the most radical Britnat to look after their self interest.
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Well it’s only taken 3 years to get here. We all new it would many moons ago. Just need to see the details now. NI aligned with SM and CU with the people of NI having a say every four years is odds on.
Scotland well we just have to put up with being treated like we don’t matter. We’ll see, I suspect 200,000+ people can’t be shafted I suspect.
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Well, a lot more really. Not everyone could get to Edinburgh for a lot of different reasons.
Now let’s see what happens.
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Well there’s this from 7th Oct
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/dup-arlene-foster-brexit-boris-johnson-irish-border-u-turn-645915
And this from 12th Oct
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/brexit/brexit-latest-dup-deputy-leader-brexit-compromise-cannot-work-809439
Bus DUP under methinks.
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They are all over the place.
I see Forster is still banging on about their influence, but surely that influence is far lessened when the government has a minority of 40 odd.
Any deal involving the Stormont assembly is decidedly dodgy. It hasn’t met in three years (and Forster is one of the blocks to them meeting)
In any case, although they are currently the biggest NI party in Westminster, and would have been in the Assembly, had it not been abandoned, given that the DUP has voted against “the will of the NI people”, there is no guarantee that they will be in the future.
An assembly might find that the biggest party was Sinn Fein.
Oh well, one week to go.
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