The EU is no doubt in for a shaky few years.
Trumps EU ambassador in waiting, Professor Ted Malloch has predicted a free trade deal with the UK will be concluded within 90 days, a surreal timeframe which is conditional on a very harsh brexit. The way Trump is behaving, could we seriously doubt the offer is genuine?
He has claimed that “Donald Trump is very opposed to supranational organisations, he believes in nation states, in bilateral relations and I think that he thinks the EU has overshot its mark.” In other words, no one can overtake the US as the world’s largest economy, or else.
I think that is a clear indication that the US wants the EU collapsed or at least the road to political union reversed and he indeed also predicts the Euro will crash in 18 months (no doubt with a little help from the US) and confirmed that the present free trade negotiation between the US and the EU – called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – was “dead”.
Pretty unequivocal stuff.
I have made no secret of my dislike for the EU and the greedy corporate globalisation it pursued in general.
I am a firm believer in the importance of nation state and the necessity for that state to look after its own citizens first..
But at the same time, we live in an ever increasingly interconnected world. It is not in mankind’s nature at least not at this stage in our evolution to live in a supranational one world state which will only ever look after the wealthiest. Micro management is simply not possible on a global scale, there are too many variations in needs and the greedy stuck up classes will never comprehend the needs of the lower class plebs.
Whether they like it or not, a nuclear economic missile has just been pointed at the EU with Germany being actually named as being responsible.
Something I am not entirely sure is accurate but more an emotive tool to play on previous attempts at global domination.
Theresa Mays visit to the US on Friday has the potential to arm that missile.
It doesn’t take a genius to see that the US wants to start a trade war between the US and the EU, the UK and the EU and has taken steps to give more control back to Russia and China in Asia giving him vital allies should such a trade war begin.
If the UK backs him, a hard border will appear within Ireland within 3 months including tariffs and highlight the lack of preparation the Fine Gael / Fianna Fail coalition government which are relying totally on Noonans financial sector opportunities. which pretty much fell in his lap and were not of his making but are by no means guaranteed even by a long shot.
What is plan B we cry, but unfortunately Mrs May hasn’t told them yet and has put off making an appearance in the Dail to steady their nerves and give them some direction until after the meeting with Trump on Friday.
I am confident she wouldn’t dream of putting Irelands economy down the tube or putting her relationship with Kenny and Noonan at risk just for a free trade deal with the US in 90 days.
I suppose she could say the ball is in the EUs court and a free trade deal is on the cards between the EU and UK, take it or leave it.
Decisions, decisions.
With 1.2 billion in trade between Ireland and GB per week, most of which is money going out of Ireland to buy resources from the UK which we need such as timber thanks to all the trees and natural resources having been pillaged some ago by our friendly neighbours whom we are in considerable debt to on top.
Tariffs would be an absolute disaster for Irelands internal economy.
The logical thing to do you would think, would be to back the UK and US and try to get in on the new deal, they are our two biggest trading partners and two most essential markets. They have also cornered the other global markets beyond the EU and are putting the EU into an economic noose.
I imagine Fine Gael would jump at the opportunity, half of Fianna Fail would also, but the other half of Fianna Fail would sooner put a gun to their heads and pull the trigger. I will go out on a limb and say that Sinn Fein would hold the same views as this half of Fianna Fail.
I expect the Dail will not survive this scare and Fianna Fail will no longer be prepared to prop up the Fine Gael parliament or face losing this half of their party. Another Irish election in 2017 will be inevitable in my humble opinion.
Wouldn’t it be great to see Mary Lou take control of Sinn Fein during this crisis, a former Fianna Fail girl leading the party and taking half of Fianna Fail into Sinn Fein at the same time. Either that or risk losing their seats to Sinn Feins young up and coming talent over policies they are more in tune with anyway as they ever extend deeper into every nook and cranny of Irelands electoral map. This is not about socialism, it is about republicanism.
Now just imagine this came off the back of a huge resurgence in nationalist voters in the northern election, no longer a vote for the unpopular unionist citadel at Stormont, but a vote for real and lasting change.
A vote for a new Ireland in the north followed by a vote for a new Ireland in the south.
The burning question though which we need to consider in advance, is do we back the UK or the EU for this new reunited Ireland?
I have given this some thought and while I was initially pro UK and anti EU, I think I have decided to come down in support of the EU and will give my reasons to see what others think about this change of heart and what is undeniably the biggest decision Ireland has ever had to make.
Moderate unionist commenters on this site helped me make my decision I should add. I just don’t trust them.
Both Unionism and the british state have acted in such bad faith I no longer want anything to do with either.
While I still dislike the idea of an EU wide political union, I ask myself, would the EU hide evidence of state involvement in murder behind a legislative veto?
I would say no, they would not whereas the UK have proven how low they would be prepared to go, over and over again.
Would the EU support the continued division of Ireland?
I would say no, they would know that uniting into a single all island economy with single administrative jurisdiction would make more sense and be more beneficial to our people.
The UK wish to control Ireland as much as possible and partition allows them to do this by controlling the north east of the country.
That is not respecting Irelands best interests.
Would the EU honour any agreements made with the people of Ireland?
Yes, I believe they would.
Whereas we have seen how both DUP and british state care little about whether they keep their word, nothing is set in stone and they will renege on or change the terms of deals as they see fit like they were darth vadar in a star wars movie.
Not the type of people we should want to do business with.
Would siding with the EU guarantee the best economic outcome for Ireland?
Clearly not, but Ireland has been through many hard times and I am confident in the end, while it is right to start putting all of our own people throughout this island first, it will not be with the blatant disregard of others that the US is embarking upon and regardless of what our future will be financially, Ireland must do what sits right with Irish people and that is camaraderie with other nations of this world not selfish disregard.
It is time we learned our lessons about putting faith or trust in great britain and stood on our own two feet. The RHI scandal and the revelations about the Irish language act prove this beyond all doubt.
We need to stop buying from the UK and start buying from the EU, we need to adapt our indigenous markets to cooperate in an ever virtual technology driven world less impacted by geographical borders.
We need to invest in our own people, in new innovative technologies such as renewable energy and make Ireland a green industrial giant.
We need to embrace our violent past and use it to help drive a lucrative tourism industry with schools all over the EU and beyond coming to learn about our history, our conflicts, our geology and our expertise in renewable green technology.
It won’t be easy, but we must do this and ensure Irelands future has no hand of England in any part of Ireland and that we are in no way reliant on them for our economy or even our energy.
It is time to cut all ties with GB for good and to throw all of our support behind the EU.
Interested to hear your views.
Meanwhile back at the ranch the NHS is slowly slipping away from us and no one is talking about it
True Doiminic with the doctors threatening to leave the NHS.
Why are we not talking about it. It has more immediacy to our lives than useless speculation about Brexit. We’ve dropped the ball on that one and are totally dependant on others now. Almost twenty years ago I remember a campaign to save the NHS and maybe we should start that again as a unifying call to action. A little political reality is needed rather than speculative hairy fairy nonsense about an evolving entity that no-one fully understood but accepted as long as they were getting something out of it.
What better way of leaving the NHS Dominic, than leaving the UK and creating our own 32 county Irish NHS.
One where money is not put into Trident missiles first.
We can only deliver services fit for purpose by pulling all of our peoples efforts together, division hasn’t worked and it never will, not for either part of this island.
I did not mean give up on a sovereign Ireland independent of all, I meant leaving the UK and stay in the EU until we either choose to leave later or it reforms back into an EEC.
The only way health services can be the best for our people is as an Irish National Health Service.
If England forces the privatisation of the British one that is their business. If brexit showed us anything it is that there is nothing we can do but go along with what England wants.
Divided, Ireland will never meet its full potential.
Don’t put a flag on health Jessica, it’s the people who are divided not the land and I know from listening to people from the south that we are expected to get on with it. The essential unity of our country is ensured through many cultural and familial ties and the issues with political Unionism have been firmly challenged.
Health has nothing to do with flags Dominic, but it requires extensive funding.
Ireland divided simply cannot achieve its potential, not in either jurisdiction and the people in the south are now as unable to “get on with it” as you put it as we are which will change things.
Health is suffering all over this island and to operate two separate systems on this small island is madness.
If you are truly interested in what is best for our children’s future, then you will stop seeing unification as being about flags, but the reality that it is about Ireland taking control of its own borders and putting its people first.
If there is a nascent national movement for unity through common sense l don’t see.
If there was would you support it?
Yes
“What better way of leaving the NHS Dominic, than leaving the UK and creating our own 32 county Irish NHS.
One where money is not put into Trident missiles first.”
I’d rather keep a real existing NHS by staying in the UK than leave the UK for a hypothetical one in a ‘united Ireland ‘.
Nothing wrong with that at all MT.
But at what point in its decline and failure do we decide to stop considering a united Ireland to be an orange and green issue but an opportunity to build a more prosperous Ireland that will deliver better services for our people.
Can you give me one single reason why we should not be discussing seriously whether businesses would be better off, whether the savings in a single administration and merging of public services would deliver. Why should the people of this island not know the answer to that question and be given an opportunity to choose it if their lives would be improved.
Who do unionists and the british think they are to deny the best futures to our people in our own country for their own selfish interests?
“But at what point in its decline and failure do we decide to stop considering a united Ireland to be an orange and green issue but an opportunity to build a more prosperous Ireland that will deliver better services for our people.”
At the same point we stop considering membership of the UK to be am orange and green issue but an opportunity to build a more prosperous Northern Ireland that will deliver better services for our people.
“Can you give me one single reason why we should not be discussing seriously whether businesses would be better off, whether the savings in a single administration and merging of public services would deliver. Why should the people of this island not know the answer to that question and be given an opportunity to choose it if their lives would be improved.”
Nobody’s stopping you discussing whatever you want.
“Who do unionists and the british think they are to deny the best futures to our people in our own country for their own selfish interests?”
Who do nationalists and the Southern Irish think they are to deny the best futures.to.our people in our country for their own selfish interests?
We have tried that over the past 19 years MT< look how far we have come.
Unionism will think they are ruling their own little roost for as long as we remain in the UK, the only solution remaining is to leave.
You are your own worst enemy
“We have tried that over the past 19 years MT< look how far we have come."
No we haven't.
"Unionism will think they are ruling their own little roost for as long as we remain in the UK, the only solution remaining is to leave.
You are your own worst enemy"
Nationalism will think they are ruling their own little roost in a 'united Ireland ', the only solution remaining is to stay in the UK.
You are your own worst enemy.
Why didn’t you answer the question?
MT, do you believe the DUP have acted honourably and taken on nationalist sensibilities?
He says he hates the DUP Dominic, but didn’t confirm which party he supports when I asked.
It would be useful I think to understand where MT is coming from if we knew which party he felt best represented his views.
Alas, not forthcoming.
I don’t think the DUP is in the least honourable.
How about you?
Which party best represents your views MT?
What is there to talk about?
The power to act resides in Westminster, and the absolute last thing on their minds is the healthcare challenges of people in the North of Ireland.
Apparently the NHS is on the negotiating table for May with Trump.
whats the important decision needs to be taken…the decision has been taken by the majority of voters we are leaving the eu end off.
Unlike you Billy when we talk about “we”, we mean Ireland not the UK. Geology is much more permanent than politics and geology tells us that we live in Ireland.
you can talk all you like about .we .and geology until you turn purple,but let us stay with the facts we are leaving the eu your denial of democracy wont change that so you may get used to it.
No billy, change is coming, if you want to live under UK rules, you can always get on a boat like anyone else.
ha.ha.haaaa…you know who will be getting the boat and trains once brexit arrives and it wont be any native irish person.get used to it ts happening.
I’m not leaving the EU, Billy, maybe you are. My passport is an Irish one, which i’m entitled to since I live in Ireland. Maybe you should get yourself one. Ian Paisley Jr. will sign the forms for you.
passports are a minor detail for natives,they will only be a problem for these economic tourists n bogus refugees who are intent on trying to establish ghettos in ireland.brexit has just came in time to save the northern part of the island,the south taking orders from germany will be ruined if they dont get out just look at the village in rosscommon 240 of them dropped off,doctors surgery on the verge of closing,shoplifting up 100% begging,drugs being sold on corners,ffs is that worth the price of being ruled by europe.what happened to self determination.
This is not a bad article Jessica. I am quite suprised by your change of heart. Last week you were arguing in equally strong terms for leaving the EU. There main difference between our relation with the EU and UK is that we have had to fight to leave the UK. We can leave the EU any time we like. Like an abusive husband the UK have threatened this that and the other if Scotland or Ireland ever try and leave. I agree that we should start looking towards the EU as trading partners. But partition is preventing us from making our own decisions.
I view NI as the modern day English Pale within Ireland. The historical contrasts are clear to see. Any sign of Irish culture within this new Pale is silenced. It is designed to have a level of influence over the rest of Ireland and to suck out as much money as possible from the south through supermarkets ect.
Some things are just more important than money Colmán, and yes, the EU has an exit where we may have to fight to leave the UK in spite of the GFA which was not set in stone we are now told.
If anyone in the 26 counties is even thinking about a deal with GB, they should take a good look at how they treat deals in the north. It would be surrendering once again to an evil empire.
There has to be a clean and total break before there can be any new relationship.
It is ironic that Britain will go to the US and defend human rights if there is to be a new relationship between them.
Yet, human rights doesn’t matter when it comes to Ireland at least not for the non compliant Irish.
They want us kept economically dependant on them, always playing catch-up to GB, always in their pockets and under their control.
It is time Ireland took back its own control and that will only happen with a clean 32 county break from the UK and when Ireland puts the interests of all of its people first.
the main*
Tranona duit Jessica, I am afraid on some of your points I have to disagree. Notably, are we, as, hopefully soon, a re-united, sovereign nation, better off in a united kingdom or a united states of europe?
Afraid I’d go with the former, and for the same reason I once voted, shamefully, to change Article’s two and three, Bunreacht na hEireann, my children, nephew’s and nieces. My reading, once, of the treaty of Lisbon, just before I voted to reject it first time out, the hun only want it to create an all europe army to obtain revenge on Russia, whom sacrificed thirty six million of their people so we don’t have to speak hun, even though, in the emergency, like Switzerland, we were neutral, I don’t think they bombed Switzerland. I don’t want my younger family dying for Angela.
To wit, would the EU honour any deals with Ireland, remember Nice and Lisbon treaties? Irish democracy overturned to suit the franco-hun alliance, twice.
I despise Britain because of their eight hundred plus years of occupation here but, I’d prefer to trust the divil I know to that I don’t.
The elections in US, Britain and, I suspect soon in der Netherland et Francais, will give us some hope to kill off the, US styling EU, return to EEC, without the over extension of rights to goods and services provided in overly progressive fashion, I’ll vote for that.
Better off in what way Mark?
Economically perhaps, but in the short term only.
I am now convinced that any deal with the UK will keep Ireland down and hold us back.
Ireland should be for Ireland first and foremost, not the UK.
The EU will collapse as a single entity in time anyway, the UK and US are going to work together to ensure that it does.
Ireland will never be a sovereign nation while it is in the UK, that is not the case with the EU.
If it collapses or does something we cannot live with, we will always be able to leave.
It is not about economics, it is about maintaining trust and good faith and I cannot trust the UK and they have proven beyond all doubt that their good faith stands for nothing.
Would you deny that Mark?
Deny, no. However, as above, and I’m no fan of Brit’s but, the EU, which the federalist USofA will do all they can to maintain same,
It is in some respects about economics, the Free presently would have issue affording the prodigal six, albeit they could German like, apply for funding from, ironically, the EU but, wherein should our country be better.
I feel the EU will, again, lie to it’s State’s citizens to maintain the gravy train and slightly reduce interference, remember subsidiarity, what ever came of decision making closer to, and by, the citizen?
Fortunately, only part of us occupied by the UK, but, as before, I’d trust Downing St. more than Brussels in taking decisions in the best interest of the citizen, Eamon O Cuiv has called that we rejoin the commonwealth, a bloc I suspect will, now, be an important, and international, trading community, if Eamon can live with that, so can I, I should though like to get my hands on the gimp who damaged his Maternal Mother’, Father’s grave, another story.
I don’t believe there is any issue with the “Free” presently affording the prodigal six.
By uniting this country and being sensible in growing our tourism industry without the sick paranoia of unionism we could easily triple turnover in a short time.
The whole island would benefit.
We could use the revenue to invest in building roads and rapid transport systems, create new industries and grow our technology sector.
I know without any doubt Ireland has huge potential as a single sovereign country.
Fianna Fail have for decades now looked after their party above the interests of Irish citizens.
That Devs grave is being damaged can only be a good sign that real change is coming in my eyes.
I would follow Fianna Fail nowhere let alone back into the commonwealth not even for a united Ireland.
Eamon can speak for himself as to whether his grandfather would approve of how his party turned out, but in my view Fianna Fail has badly failed the Irish people. none as much as the Irish citizens in the north.
If Eamon O Cuiv had any decency, he would lead by example and abandon Fianna Fail and join Sinn Fein to build a new Ireland for all of our citizens.
Not an easy decision for him to make but one he would go down in Irish history for making and restore his families name as someone who put Ireland first, something I would not agree with at the moment.
Agreed, largely, on the Dev matter, his Oireachtas grandson, he has a decency real Republican’s can attest to, you’re correct on his political party, although he did, in 2011 runfor leadership, but failed to get the necessary Dail party support.
Again, an argument for another day.
I’m not sure it is for another day Mark.
Fianna Fail can hardly wash their hands of the lack of movement post GFA.
All the talk about what could be achieved in the absence of violence and once we have it, the so called “republican party” prove themselves to be every bit as pro partition as Fine Gael.
In fact, what Eamon needs to consider is not only the fact that half of his party would be more comfortable with Fine Gael policies and could quite comfortably sit in a Fine Gael led cabinet, but what direction is the party going in?
Seems to me that it will be moving ever further away from his thinking and he and others who would support him are simply being used no more than to keep the rural votes while the core moves in very much another direction.
Eamon may not be considered leadership material for Fianna Fail and the direction they are heading in, but I would imagine he would indeed be very much respected, welcomed and appreciated within Sinn Fein and their supporters of which I am now officially one having only just joined the party.
Hopefully it is not something he would rule out without due consideration.
On Eamon, as above, as once said of John Smith, the best Prime Minister, albeit, in Eamon’s case, Taoiseach, we never, yet, had, he is still in the running.
“I don’t believe there is any issue with the “Free” presently affording the prodigal six.”
Where will they get the extra money to pay for our public services?
“By uniting this country and being sensible in growing our tourism industry without the sick paranoia of unionism we could easily triple turnover in a short time.”
Explain how a tripling in ‘turnover’ means and how it will be achieved.
The first step would be to establish what those costs actually are and obtain a detailed breakdown identifying how much is contributions towards british security and armed forces which we should be exempt from as well as the 1.5 billion which goes towards depreciation of british assets which should also be excluded from the figures.
When we have the annual costs, we would then look at the revenue in and determine the actual deficit. I would estimate this would be somewhere between 2 billion and 5 billion but would need to be established,
An integration strategy would need to be developed and this should be tendered for, which the aim to merge both administrations of a suitable timeframe, possibly as much as over 10 years.
This would account for job management through natural wastage to reduce job losses as well as restructuring with councils merging over the border and further job opportunities being offered.
I imagine this would result in northern civil servants being better off with their wages increased to match that of those in the south.
Lets even exclude the savings from merging administrations. Lets say we still need an additional 5 billion annually to cover it.
This would need to be raised as additional revenue and I am 100% confident could be achieved while at the same time removing austerity from the whole of this island. Iceland achieved this very thing and is a model I believe we could emulate.
We would therefore also need an economic growth strategy.
Tourism is currently over 9 million per year and the percentage coming north is already increasing to 4.5 million in 2015 with an income of 746 million.
Tripling this would be easy and would be limited by the infrastructure and lack of accommodation available to deal with the demand
I would produce a business case and costed strategy towards growing tourism figures to 27 million annually over a 3 year period which would more than cover this.
We would then need to borrow to help pay for the development work initially but the returns should be quick and used to reduce the overall debt within a short time and without the need for austerity.
We must develop a troubles museum at the maze incorporating the hospital which would attract 20 million people per year alone.
We should go ahead with the conflict resolution centre which would attract well over 40,000 annually who would be big spending government officials from all over the world. We would need hotels built along the maze land to accommodate 5000 initially but able to grow to well over 25000 rooms.
We would need to reopen the train station at the Maze, make it a huge terminal with additional high speed transit lines to Dublin airport with a free shuttle bus to Belfast city and standard train.
We should offer this land at low rates to corporate business to help develop industry within the private sector and build roads and rail networks from here as a central hub to every part of the island.
By making Ireland a profitable and wealthy country, with minimal spend on security, we should invest in public services including health and education and also develop an innovative renewable energy industry both in terms of becoming self sufficient and exporting this technology all over the world using Harland and Wolff shipyard to build the turbines and restore the north as an industrial giant on these islands.
I could go on about the benefits to small and medium enterprises who would benefit further increasing revenue.
I doubt very much there would be a deficit to say the south would have to contribute any additional money to pay for our public services.
This is simply a scary story to put people off supporting a united Ireland.
Scotland were frightened off seeking independence on such groundless nonsense, I am sure we will have to overcome the same.
So your strategy would be to cut public sector employment, spend lots of money on infrastructure in the hope that the number of tourists would triple, build a conflict resolution centre in the hope that 45,000 public servants would visit each year, and lower rates for businesses locating to the Maze.
But you don’t know how much revenue this would raise.
You’re living in a fantasy.
And anyway we could do all that now..It doesn’t require a ‘united Ireland’.
First of all it wouldn’t be up to me but an outsourced consultancy firm with sufficient experience in financial governance.
Second, this was off the top of my head and only in response to a question on a blog site.
Thirdly, I did not mention cutting public sector employment, there is natural wastage every year as people leave or retire, I suggested that by a process of merging and reforming public body structures across existing borders we could rebalance with minimal losses and it would likely result in an increase for the lower paid northern public sector who would have to be increase to match the southern public services.
I should also point out, failure to do something is resulting in public sector reduction anyway but through austerity measures.
I also suggested that through combining resources across the island, we could do this while totally avoiding austerity and increasing spend on health reforms and education etc…
This would indeed only be possible by increasing economic revenue.
There is a lot of good will towards Ireland in this world. Tourism demand would go through the roof to visit a new united Ireland. Demand is not the issue.
infrastructure to meet the demand is, and providing tourist attractions that would not only match the Louvre but out perform it would be possible.
A troubles museum at the maze would be the biggest tourist attraction in Europe if we build the infrastructure and hotels to meet the demand.
The time is coming MT, where you can no longer deny a business case for unity without a business case to maintain division.
If you are saying why cant we unite and remain within the union, I had suggested that a few times, but unionism see it as a defeat.
For as long as that attitude remains, it simply wouldn’t work.
“First of all it wouldn’t be up to me but an outsourced consultancy firm with sufficient experience in financial governance.”
And what if the ‘outsourced company’ didn’t believe it was feasible to raise the extra 5-9bn?
“Second, this was off the top of my head and only in response to a question on a blog site.”
So you obviously haven’t given it much thought. Odd, then’ that you speak with such certainty.
“Thirdly, I did not mention cutting public sector employment, there is natural wastage every year as people leave or retire, I suggested that by a process of merging and reforming public body structures across existing borders we could rebalance with minimal losses and it would likely result in an increase for the lower paid northern public sector who would have to be increase to match the southern public services.”
You do realise that natural wastage means reduction?
And you’re also going to pay those who remain more?.That’s another cost.
“I also suggested that through combining resources across the island, we could do this while totally avoiding austerity and increasing spend on health reforms and education etc…”
We could have our cake and eat it? Not only find an extra £5-9bn but also Improve services? How could we do this?
“There is a lot of good will towards Ireland in this world. Tourism demand would go through the roof to visit a new united Ireland. Demand is not the issue.”
How do you know? What do you base this on and how much revenue would it raise?
“A troubles museum at the maze would be the biggest tourist attraction in Europe”
You really are living in a fantasy land.
I work with different businesses every day MT, and I can tell you, the majority of protestant business owners have long given up on the union and will confirm Ireland is an all island economy.
There is no chance of the deficit being as high as 9 billion, it would be under 5 by now and decreasing.
I have given it a great deal of thought and blogged on it many times on this site. I drive past mile after mile of prime development land along the M1 motorway either side of the Maze travelling to and from Belfast and look at the unused railway station and think what a disgraceful waste it all is.
“We could have our cake and eat it? Not only find an extra £5-9bn but also Improve services? How could we do this? ”
Use the tourist demand, borrow to invest in a huge development program which will increase jobs in construction and knock on trade as well as provide a more efficient and cost effective all island public administration using existing resources.
As for how much money it would raise.
If a troubles museum had 20 million visitors per year, the knock on trade and revenue would be significant.
Such reforms are happening already anyway.
In fact everything is moving in this direction and has been for some time.
in 2019 the energy network will be fully linked up across the whole of this island and that will be the last link in making us truly an all island single entity.
Hospitals are working across the border with some services going to Dublin, as it should be.
With a rapid rail line between the maze and Dublin, with a single change we could get from Belfast city to Dublin airport in under an hour.
All international flights to the US would go through Dublin reducing costs and allowing Belfast to focus on smaller flights only.
That is the future MT, that is how it is going to be.
“I work with different businesses every day MT, and I can tell you, the majority of protestant business owners have long given up on the union and will confirm Ireland is an all island economy.”
I think robust data would be more useful than your unsubstantiated anecdotes.
“There is no chance of the deficit being as high as 9 billion, it would be under 5 by now and decreasing.”
On what do you base this assertion?
“I have given it a great deal of thought and blogged on it many times on this site.”
Then how come you’ve nothing to support your wild fantastic claims?
“We could have our cake and eat it? Not only find an extra £5-9bn but also Improve services? How could we do this? ”
“Use the tourist demand, borrow to invest in a huge development program which will increase jobs in construction and knock on trade as well as provide a more efficient and cost effective all island public administration using existing resources.”
Borrow how much at what cost? Spend how much? How many jobs would it create? How much revenue would this bring in?
How would a ‘development program [sic]’ provide a more efficient and cost effective all island public administration? What would be the economic benefit of this?
“As for how much money it would raise.
If a troubles museum had 20 million visitors per year, the knock on trade and revenue would be significant.”
20m visitors a year? What is this based in? How much revenue would this generate?
“With a rapid rail line between the maze and Dublin, with a single change we could get from Belfast city to Dublin airport in under an hour.”
What would the economic benefit of this be?
“All international flights to the US would go through Dublin reducing costs and allowing Belfast to focus on smaller flights only.”
What would the economic benefit of this be?
And, even if your fantasy came true, it’s all possible under the current constitutional arrangements. It’s not dependent on a ‘united Ireland ‘.
“And, even if your fantasy came true, it’s all possible under the current constitutional arrangements. It’s not dependent on a ‘united Ireland ‘.”
Yes it was.
Sinn Fein tried to do this, tried to make power sharing work, tried to build global economic relations, tried to bring in foreign investment, tried to create jobs, tried to build roads, tried to build a stadium at the maze which could have helped us bring the rugby world cup to Ireland, tried to build a museum that would not glorify violence, that would have brought tourism, tried to resolve the health service issues, indeed Michelle ONeill is sorely missed and had brought hope to a failing NHS, they tried to act impartially and for both communities.
Unionism fought them a battle a day remember, they denied equality, tried to prioritise their electorate over others, tried to benefit their supporters using public money, tried to keep loyalist paramilitaries on hand rather than work together to rid society of them, tried to veto every single policy that did not meet unionist approval, refused to even engage in basic common decency.
Well, enough is enough. We wont take it any more, we wont work with anyone who behaves in such a manner and there is now no other way.
Even the british PM is still calling us terrorists only last week at the request of Nigel Dodds putting Ireland very relationship with britain at risk.
I would now trust the EU more than I would trust the UK and that is where we are today MT.
Nationalism no longer wants the union, and no longer trusts the union.
If you don’t believe me, you wont have too long to wait to find out just how much damage unionist intransigence has done.
Keep it up.
You haven’t answered any of my questions about your economic fantasy.
I answered all your reasonable questions.
I will ignore the bull crap to deflect from what you know makes sense and why unionism fears a proper government led economic appraisal on the benefits of Irish unity.
Britain doesn’t want us to know we would be better off on our own, just as they didn’t want Scotland to know they would have been better off on their own.
Even now they capitulate to the DUP, calling us terrorists from Westminster while 60 000 names mysteriously disappear off the electoral register.
Never trust the british
“I answered all your reasonable questions.”
You didn’t.
“I will ignore the bull crap to deflect from what you know makes sense and why unionism fears a proper government led economic appraisal on the benefits of Irish unity.”
I don’t know it makes sense and neither do you, as evidenced by your own ignorance of how your fantasy.proposals would work.
You’re a dreamer and a fantasist.
A dreamer would settle for things as they are, I have always done whatever it takes to make them happen.
This may be beyond my reach, but I will do whatever I can to help those who can make it happen to make it happen.
Your attempts at demoralizing and negativity are just more evidence of the economic shackles that will always be there under british rule.
We will always have to live within the limitations England allows us to have
I cant accept that and I wont accept that
“Your attempts at demoralizing and negativity are just more evidence of the economic shackles that will always be there under british rule.”
All I did was ask questions. You’ve demolarised yourself with your inability to answer them and the consequent realisation that your proposals are fantasy.
I don’t think membership of a state with a strong economy and that provides us with public services that we otherwise couldn’t afford can be described as ‘shackles ‘.
They aren’t just questions, you want break downs of costing’s which no individual could possibly give without access to accounting information the british state are reluctant to give over.
Do you have a full break down of the makeup of so called costs to run this place?
How much is towards armed forces, how much is for non NI related costs?
If we count only the costs of running the public service and revenue in, we are almost in the black. There could well be no deficit.
I do agree that this information should be made public though.
Perhaps then we can have a serious discussion about the benefits of leaving the UK.
The only way it would make any sense for Ireland to be in the UK would be as an all island single entity and as an equal partner with a percentage stake in sterling with the bank of Ireland, Scotland and England each holding shares based on economic performance.
“They aren’t just questions, you want break downs of costing’s which no individual could possibly give without access to accounting information the british state are reluctant to give over.”
So if you don’t know any figures how do you know your plan will generate sufficient revenue to cover the deficit?
You don’t. It’s fantasy
“Do you have a full break down of the makeup of so called costs to run this place? How much is towards armed forces, how much is for non NI related costs?”
I’m not the one proposing a plan. It’s not up to.me to provide your figures. But there are plenty of studies out there that put the figure at about 9bn, taking into account our contribution to defence spending etc.
“If we count only the costs of running the public service and revenue in, we are almost in the black. There could well be no deficit.”
What makes you say this? Has any economist ever said this ever? Or are you making it up?
Every business venture starts with an idea MT, it is then researched and if there is potential you do a business case with more detailed costing and evaluations.
I have given you an idea, that I have researched and in my opinion there is huge potential for.
I have not gone any further with it and nor do I intend to as I have my own responsibilities.
It is the job of government to find such solutions to create a better economy for the people it represents, if they have no ideas of their own, feel free to pass it on for their opinion.
I am not trying to convince you, only highlight the potential.
By your response, I believe you know this has legs and as a typical unionist, because it is an advantage for unity, you bring back the constraints that our future should remain within the budgets determined we are worthy off by London.
Unity is not about replacing these hand-outs to come from Dublin, it is about standing on our own two feet and making Ireland a prosperous nation.
All I am trying to do is instil the belief that we can be so much more than we are today.
“Every business venture starts with an idea MT, it is then researched and if there is potential you do a business case with more detailed costing and evaluations.”
And if the business case stacks up you don’t go ahead with the idea.
Why don’t you admit you haven’t a clue?
“I have given you an idea, that I have researched and in my opinion there is huge potential for.”
You’ve researched it? How come you can’t any questions about it, then?.How come you don’l.know what the costs and benefits and risks would be?
“I am not trying to convince you, only highlight the potential.”
But you haven’t highlighted the potential.
“By your response, I believe you know this has legs and as a typical unionist, because it is an advantage for unity, you bring back the constraints that our future should remain within the budgets determined we are worthy off by London.”
I’ve merely asked the most obvious questions.
You can’t answer them.
“Unity is not about replacing these hand-outs to come from Dublin, it is about standing on our own two feet and making Ireland a prosperous nation.”
If the hand-outs (as you describe them) won’t continue then you need to explain how we’ll be better off without them.
“All I am trying to do is instil the belief that we can be so much more than we are today.”
Wild assertions of 20 million tourists visiting a troubles museum won’t instil belief in anyone but the most foolish and naive.
Jessica thinks that three times as many tourists that visit the Eiffel Tower each year would visit a ‘troubles museum’.
maybe in one of your dream factories you run jeccica 8quid an hour ffs,whats your profit.
The British have no friends – only interests.
Good article Jessica.
I myself have no love for either the Union with the UK, nor the sovereign expansionist EU.
Things are so dynamic though, that we should focus on one thing at a time. It is impossible to predict the status of the UK or the EU in five, never mind ten years from now.
The primary objective needs to be a UI as a first step.
Until that happens there is no prospect of any kind of say in our destiny, no matter where it resides.
By the time that is sorted the realities of the day will need to be dealt with.
But we need to keep that front and centre as the primary objective.
Great article Jessica and Jud’s reply fairly sums my opinion up.