Explained: Can Northern Ireland Break Away from the UK and Form a United Ireland?

Feb 15, 2024 | In 1921, England partitioned Ireland into two countries: the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland under the dominion of the United Kingdom. Now, with a nationalist leader advocating for Irish unity sworn in to lead Northern Ireland, will the two regions reunite?

What a New Power-sharing Deal Means for Northern Ireland | DW News

Feb 5, 2024 | UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is visiting Northern Ireland to mark the return of power sharing between the province's pro-Irish and pro-British political parties. He's met with First Minister Michelle O'Neill from the nationalist Sinn Fein party and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly from the pro-British Democratic Unionists, the DUP. The DUP ended a two-year boycott of the province's power sharing assembly last week after accepting a deal involving changes to post-Brexit rules affecting Northern Ireland's agreement with the European Union.

The Federal Trust: More Brexit Pain for Northern Ireland

Nov 4, 2022 | In this new Federal Trust video the former head of the European Commission office in Belfast, Geoff Martin, discusses recent developments in Northern Ireland with the Chair of the Federal Trust, John Stevens. Geoff Martin predicts that new elections for Stormont will make very little difference to the political stalemate in Northern Ireland, for which he principally blames the DUP. He argues however that the whole political elite in Belfast is failing to reflect new thinking throughout the island of Ireland.

GUEST:
Geoff Martin OBE, Inaugural head of the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland 1979–1984, and later Head of the European Commission Representation in the UK, 1993–2002.

John Stevens is the Chairman of the Federal Trust and a former Conservative MEP.

ABOUT THE FEDERAL TRUST
The Federal Trust is a research institute studying regional, national, European and global levels of government. It has always had a particular interest in the European Union and Britain’s place in it. The Federal Trust has no allegiance to any political party. It is registered as a charity for the purposes of education and research.

The Federal Trust.

EU Raises Spectre of Trade War If UK Rewrites Northern Ireland Protocol

THE GUARDIAN: Brussels vows to respond with ‘all measures at its disposal’ as Liz Truss sets out plan to make changes

Liz Truss and the European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič in February. The foreign secretary has asked to be given a rewritten negotiating mandate. Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
The European Commission has raised the spectre of an economically damaging trade war with the UK, pledging to respond with “all measures at its disposal” if Liz Truss presses ahead with a plan to rewrite the Northern Ireland protocol.

The foreign secretary set out plans on Tuesday to table a bill that would make key changes to the protocol, including waiving all checks on goods flowing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland where they are not destined for the Republic of Ireland. » | Heather Stewart, Jennifer Rankin and Lisa O'Carroll | Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Reality check: the Northern Ireland protocol isn’t the problem, Brexit is: The Tories are addicted to conflict with the EU, for fear of taking responsibility for the consequences of liberation »

Sturgeon: 'Shameful' UK Playing Politics with Brexit

May 17, 2022 • Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says it's "shameful" for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to play politics with the Brexit deal. (May 17)

UK, EU Risk Trade War as Brexit Tensions Rise

May 16, 2022 • A Possible decision by the UK government to override parts of its Brexit deal's conditions for Northern Ireland is sparking concerns of a trade war with the European Union. University of Cambridge Professor of EU Law Catherine Barnard examines how the Northern Ireland protocol plays into the Brexit deal and trade on "Bloomberg Markets."

Question Marks over Northern Ireland's Place in Single Market, EU's SefcovicTells Euronews

May 12, 2022 • It comes amid a long-running dispute between London and Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Maroš Šefčovič »

UK should not fear EU trade war, says Frost as he backs ripping up protocol: Former Brexit minister says UK ‘cannot be defeated’ by Brussels in provocative Telegraph column »

Johnson blames today’s Brexit woes on Brussels – that’s a load of old bull: The prime minister claims trouble in Northern Ireland is the EU’s fault. There’s an impolite word for that »

Londres menace Bruxelles d’abandonner des pans entiers du protocole nord-irlandais : Le gouvernement de Boris Johnson hausse le ton contre cette partie cruciale du traité du Brexit qui instaure une frontière douanière entre l’Irlande du Nord et le reste du Royaume-Uni. »

Sinn Féin Assembly Victory Fuels Debate on Future of Union

THE OBSERVER: Leader Mary Lou McDonald raises issue of unification as nationalists become biggest party in Northern Ireland

Michelle O'Neill (centre left), first minister elect of Northern Ireland, takes a selfie with Sinn Féin party president Mary Lou McDonald at the Meadowbank sports centre in Magherafelt, County Derry. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images
Northern Ireland has slipped into political crisis after Sinn Féin’s triumph in the assembly election triggered calls for a referendum on a united Ireland and the Democratic Unionist party vowed to block the formation of a new power-sharing executive at Stormont.

Jubilant Sinn Féin supporters celebrated across the region on Saturday when final vote counts confirmed a historic victory that turned the former IRA mouthpiece into the biggest party, with the right to nominate the first minister.

Sinn Féin won 29% of the first preference vote and will be the biggest party in the Stormont assembly, a seismic moment for a state that was designed a century ago to have a permanent unionist majority. » | Rory Carroll and Lisa O'Carroll in Magherafelt, and Toby Helm | Saturday, May 7, 2022

With Sinn Féin’s victory, tectonic plates have shifted in Northern Ireland: In Yeats’s words, ‘all changed, changed utterly’ »

Scottish and Welsh Ministers Criticise ‘Cack-handed’ Plans to Scrap EU Rules

THE GUARDIAN: UK government accused of not properly consulting devolved parliaments over ‘Brexit freedom bill’

The proposed bill will have a significant impact on hundreds of areas controlled by devolved governments. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA
Senior ministers in the Welsh and Scottish governments have furiously criticised “last-minute and cack-handed” plans from the Conservatives to scrap or amend thousands of EU rules.

The move – nicknamed the “Brexit freedoms bill” – has also raised alarm from constitutional experts who said it would make it easier for ministers to bulldoze through important parliamentary scrutiny.

Senior sources in the devolved governments have accused the UK government of failing to properly consult ministers in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Stormont, even though the proposals, released on Monday by No 10, will have a significant impact on hundreds of areas controlled by devolved governments.

One source said the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish parliaments first learned an announcement was imminent when they were invited at 1.51pm last Friday to an unexpected meeting on Saturday with Suella Braverman, the attorney general.

It involved ministers from all three devolved administrations and the cabinet ministers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. » | Severin Carrell and Jessica Elgot | Monday, January 31, 2022

Departure of Frost as Brexit Minister Sets Off Alarm Bells in Brussels

THE GUARDIAN: Concern grows within Europe that his replacement will undermine recent truce in negotiations

The resignation of David Frost as Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister has set off alarm bells in Brussels, with officials unclear as to the approach that will be taken by the prime minister in the new year.

In recent weeks, the UK government softened its approach to the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, with the two sides brokering a Christmas truce in the talks on a relatively positive note.

There is concern that Johnson, under huge pressure from the right of his Conservative party over Covid restrictions, will feel the need to replace Lord Frost with someone who will want to unravel the new approach.

On Sunday, reports suggested that figures such as Iain Duncan Smith, the former work and pensions secretary, or even David Davis, who resigned as Theresa May’s Brexit secretary in 2018, could be in the running. Both men have called for the ditching of the Northern Ireland protocol in the past.

One EU diplomat said: “Hopefully the new negotiator will be more pragmatic, making good relations with the EU and its member states relations a priority over the pursuit of a pure, antagonistic Brexit - we’re not holding our breath.” » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Lisa O'Carroll in Brussels | Sunday, December 19, 2021

UK ‘Tough Guy’ Act on Northern Ireland Will End in Disaster, Says Irish minister

THE GUARDIAN: European Affairs minister says UK government is out of step with preserving peace with protocol threats

A hijacked and burnt-out bus is removed from the loyalist Rathcoole estate in Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty
Ireland’s minister for European Affairs has said that a “tough guy approach” when it comes to Northern Ireland will lead to disaster, adding that threats to suspend the Northern Ireland protocol represented the first time the UK government has been out of step with the international consensus on preserving peace and stability in Northern Ireland in 25 years.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Thomas Byrne said there was “a serious danger of complete instability in Northern Ireland” if the UK government continues its “tough guy approach” through threats to trigger article 16, which would suspend post-Brexit trade arrangements.

He said: “We have a situation where we have the US putting pressure on the British government, the EU united in one voice with concern about Northern Ireland, Ireland concerned about Northern Ireland. We’ve never had a situation in the last 25 years where the British government is out of the loop on that.

“We want very close relations with the British government and good cooperation, we want to be singing off the same hymn sheet.” » | Rachel Hall | Friday, November 12, 2021

EU to tell Frost Brexit talks will fail unless he ditches ECJ demand »

More on Boris Johnson’s government:

The Guardian view on Boris Johnson’s Britain: cry, the corrupt country »

Johnson: „Großbritannien ist kein korruptes Land“: Das hässliche Bild vom Tory, der in die Politik geht, um Geld zu verdienen: In Großbritannien lebt die Debatte um Fehlverhalten konservativer Abgeordneter wieder auf. Die Opposition wittert Morgenluft und empört sich nach Kräften. »

Die bloße Tatsache, daß Johnson sagen muß, daß Großbritannien kein korruptes Land ist, spricht Bände! – © Mark

Brexit: EU Warns of 'Serious Consequences' If UK Triggers Article 16

Nov 5, 2021 • Brussels could impose tariffs on UK imports or even tear up the EU-UK Brexit trade deal altogether.

Verwandt

EU to tell Frost Brexit talks will fail unless he ditches ECJ demand: Concerns grow that Boris Johnson has already decided to trigger article 16 of Northern Ireland protocol »

Trade War Looms as UK Set to Spurn EU Offer on Northern Ireland

THE GUARDIAN: EU leaders urged to push back against No 10’s brinkmanship over role of European court of justice

David Frost leaving the stage after delivering his Brexit speech at the Conservative conference. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
Fears that the UK is heading for a trade war with the EU have been fuelled by strong indications from the government that it thinks proposals to be unveiled in Brussels on Wednesday over Brexit arrangements do not go far enough.

The Brexit minister, David Frost, will use a speech in Portugal on Tuesday to say that the EU scrapping its prohibition on British sausages to resolve the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol does not meet the UK and unionists’ demands.

Lord Frost will call for “significant” changes to the post-Brexit agreement he negotiated, including over the role of the European court of justice, something the EU is highly unlikely to concede to.

“Without new arrangements in this area, the protocol will never have the support it needs to survive,” he will warn on the eve of a significant move by the EU to resolve the row.

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, reacted with incredulity at the UK’s “red line” and its timing just days before what he said was a “serious” offer from the EU.

He tweeted: “EU working seriously to resolve practical issues with implementation of Protocol – so UKG creates a new “red line” barrier to progress, that they know EU can’t move on … are we surprised? Real Q: does UKG actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations?” » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Sunday, September 10, 2021

Brexit was a dumb idea from the start. It's going to end badly. It's going to be a lose-lose situation for both sides. There's so much to lose and so little to gain from it. Sad! – © Mark

EU urges UK to drop rhetoric in Northern Ireland Brexit row: Maroš Šefčovič says bloc will issue ‘far-reaching proposals’ aimed at breaking impasse next week »

This Administration: Shabby on Brexit; Shabby on Much Else Besides

UK chief negotiator David Frost looks on as Boris Johnson poses for a picture after signing the Brexit trade deal with the EU on 30 December 2020. Photograph: Reuters
The Guardian view on Boris Johnson’s Brexit lies: reality demands a rewrite »

Opinion – Guest Essay: Northern Ireland Is Coming to an End

THE NEW YORK TIMES: BELFAST, Northern Ireland — It was meant to be a year of celebration.

But Northern Ireland, created in 1921 when Britain carved six counties out of Ireland’s northeast, is not enjoying its centenary. Its most ardent upholders, the unionists who believe that the place they call “our wee country” is and must forever remain an intrinsic part of the United Kingdom, are in utter disarray. Their largest party has ousted two leaders within a matter of weeks, while an angry minority has taken to the streets waving flags and threatening violence. And the British government, in resolving Brexit, placed a new border in the Irish Sea.

It’s harsh reward for what Northern Ireland’s first prime minister, James Craig, called “the most loyal part of Great Britain.” But the Protestant statelet is not what it was. Well on its way to having a Catholic majority, the country’s once dominant political force — unionism — now finds itself out of step with the community that traditionally gave it uncritical support. And for all his talk of the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made clear his government would cheerfully ditch this last little fragment of Britain’s empire if it continues to complicate Brexit. » | Susan McKay* | Wednesday, June 30. 2021

* Ms. McKay is an Irish journalist who writes extensively about the politics and culture of Northern Ireland.

EU-UK Relations Deteriorate as Northern Ireland Talks End without Agreement

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Patience wearing very thin’ and relationship with London ‘at crossroads’, says EU negotiator Maroš Šefčovič

Talks between the EU and the UK over Northern Ireland appear on the brink of collapse as London indicated it was still considering unilateral action to keep unhindered supplies flowing from Great Britain into the region.

The European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, said patience was “wearing very very thin” and described the relationship with the UK as “at a crossroads”.

Amid fears that the escalating crisis over Northern Ireland would develop into a trade war, David Frost, the Brexit minister, said there had been “no breakthroughs” over the Brexit checks but no “breakdowns” after a two-hour meeting with Šefčovič in London.

They agreed to continue to try to find a solution before 30 June when a ban on chilled meats including sausages and mincemeat is due to come into force. » | Lisa O’Carroll and Peter Walker | Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Northern Ireland’s Brexit Act | DW Documentary (November 2020)

The coming months could be a real stress test for Northern Ireland. Though legally it has left the European Union, Northern Ireland will still be subject to many EU laws and regulations. Officially part of the UK but in many ways still in the EU.

What could this new role mean for a country that has struggled for decades to secure lasting peace, stability and economic success? The new situation could reignite old questions about Northern Ireland’s identity. There are currently no border controls on the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland which remains a member of the EU have a completely open border, with freedom of travel, trade and a shared electricity grid. And that is supposed to remain unchanged in spite of Brexit, in order not to jeopardize the Good Friday Agreement and the hard-fought peace that has been achieved on the island.

Northern Ireland will effectively remain in the European Single Market, with the customs border officially in the Irish Sea. This poses a huge challenge for port authorities and haulage companies, because that customs border will effectively split Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom. The port will be required to carry out customs checks for goods coming from Britain to Northern Ireland. Haulage contractors will have to fill out customs declarations although it’s actually domestic trade.

On the other hand, some companies - like one sports clothing manufacturer in Belfast - are happy to be able to continue trading closely with the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU, despite Brexit. But it’s clear, businesses will have to realign and many fear they will be forced to decide whether to trade with the EU or the rest of the UK.

And that turns Northern Ireland’s special status into a political issue. Could it drive a wedge between Northern Ireland and Britain, making closer ties with the Republic of Ireland seem more attractive? The Unionists, who attach great importance to Northern Ireland being part of the UK, are furious. They rejected all suggestion of a customs border in the Irish Sea right from the start, while the Republicans believe this process will inevitably work in their favor, leading ultimately to the reunification of Ireland. So how is all this affecting ordinary people in the cities of Belfast and Londonderry, who continue to live with the high barriers that separate predominately Unionist neighborhoods from Republican ones?

No Chance of US-UK Deal If Northern Ireland Peace At Risk - Pelosi

THE GUARDIAN: Senior US politician says Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil Good Friday agreement

There is no chance that a trade agreement between the United States and Britain will pass Congress if Brexit undermines the Good Friday peace agreement between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has said.

“Whatever form it takes, Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil the Good Friday agreement, including the seamless border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland,” Pelosi said. » | Staff and agencies | Wednesday, August 14, 2019

How Brexit Has Reduced Northern Ireland to Culture Wars

What Irish People Think about Breaking Away from UK