
So many unconsidered consequences have come to light, one wonders if any of the proponents of ” Brexit ” would vote for it now if they had a chance to do it over.
No consequent issue IMO is tougher than the issue of what happens to ” Ulster “, or more properly the six of the nine counties of Ulster that remain in the United Kingdom, separated by salt water from the rest of the United Kingdom.
To make a tortured story short, Northern Ireland, as part of the UK, is getting out of the EU, while the Republic of Ireland that shares the island with Northern Ireland is staying in. One of the most important features of the EU is a single market for goods and services within it. You can ship a truckload of goods from Holland to Germany without much or any paperwork, just as you would from NY to Pennsylvania. But if the UK leaves the EU and nothing else is done, you won’t necessarily be able to ship a truckload of Guinness from Dublin to Derry. A hard customs border between NI and the ROI is entirely unacceptable for multiple reasons. The apparent solution to be implemented once the UK elections are completed, is to have a kind of border in the Irish sea. Goods moving from the UK to either Ireland or to Northern Ireland will be subject customs checks.
This has angered many unionists in Northern Ireland. Some of them are angry all the time, but I digress. They see this a kind of separation of NI from the rest of the UK. It is indeed a kind of separation, but it is only that. Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK post Brexit. And the sea border could work to the advantage of the NI economy.
There is talk in Unionist circles of betrayal by PM Johnson, with no major party alternative for them to turn to, with Labour headed a hostile Corbyn.
There are mutterings of loyalist violence and or disruption once Brexit is passed if it includes an Irish Sea border.
The subject is discussed in this article from The Atlantic magazine, as first linked to by the excellent Daphne.
I think that an Irish sea invisible border is the best solution, and that there is no other decent solution. What in the world is Johnson supposed to do?
I don’t think that any disruption is justified.
Unionist concerns should be listened to. But then what?