Northern Ireland Protocol requires replacement rather than sandpapering

 

Boris Johnson wants to tweak the Protocol  that he imposed using a bit of sandpapering.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/apr/20/boris-johnson-uk-trying-to-cut-ludicrous-northern-ireland-checks

Let us take a historical perspective.

A hundred years ago a settlement was imposed that established the border between Northern Ireland and Eire. This resulted in widespread discontent in many communities.. Sandpapering was considered then, with minimal effect.

In 1998 after extensive consultation a scheme was devised involving all players which had the broad consent of all communities – much more than any previous arrangement, anyway– and the proof of that pudding is in the subsequent relative peace.

In 2019-20 a scheme was devised by Boris Johnson which had very little consent and was imposed on Northern Ireland.

History tells us that such a scheme will not last.

What about Brexit overall?

Over 2016-2020 a scheme to substantially degrade our ability to trade with the EU – by leaving it with a hard Brexit – was imposed on the British people. Perhaps 20-30% might have supported that scheme if it had been proposed in 2016, possibly fewer. Young people overwhelmingly wanted no Brexit of any sort.

The damage is done – or some of it at any rate – and it is a reality that must be faced.

But imposed settlements do not create equilibrium.

The natural course of events Is to address injustices and impositions. The natural course of events would see the next generation re-join EU, by 2050 if not before.

Unless he wants to be the initiator of 30 years of discontent, the tool that Johnson needs now is the axe, not the sandpaper. Replacing the Protocol with Customs Union and Single Market membership would do it.

But I suspect that this is a task that he will leave for his successor. Next year?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meaty First Caller - "Indian variant" B1617 - transcript of Mike Cashman on BBC Radio 4 Any Answers 15 May 2021

  Anita   Anand ( 00:00 ): Let’s start with the news of the Indian variant, the announcement that we've got to go carefully at five o'clock yesterday, Michael Cashman. You're our first caller on this. What did you make of it all? Mike Cashman   ( 00:11 ): Hallo there Anita, I wish that people who spoke about this on the radio understood the maths. We've had both the prime minister and Niall Ferguson saying it's relatively small numbers - and the Prime Minister actually saying, if we saw exponential growth, then we would have to do something about it. We are seeing exponential growth, now. It's tripling each week is what we've seen, Now the government is wrong to block surge vaccination in Blackburn, Bolton, and so on, because that could have a real impact. And you know, I've heard people say, “Oh well, but the vaccine takes three weeks to take effect”; Anita I'll give you a statistic. If it's tripling every week, then in five weeks, it mult
Read more

9 reasons why I as a Christian, am in favour of remaining in the EU, and opposing the current Brexit path

9 reasons why I as a Christian, am in favour of remaining in the EU, and opposing the current Brexit path (4000 words) INTRODUCTION There are a number of reasons why my Christian Faith leads me to support remaining in the European Union. Of course it’s right to respect that other Christians support Leave, and I have sought to understand their views. It’s reasonable to say that membership of the EU or not is a means to various ends, and people may disagree as to how remaining or leaving would fulfil those ends. This is a practical question; Leave or Remain is not an issue where one answer or the other is intrinsically moral or immoral. I have searched online and have not found much written that covers my nine main reasons, listed below – hence this article. I would be interested in responses, particularly from Christians who support Leave. This is a personal view. But it represents a strong conviction. I  am not denying that others may have different opinions, but I do have
Read more

Covid situation in India tragically illustrates the impact of "taking it on the chin"

  The Covid situation is India is a humanitarian tragedy, I hope the UK  can help further. The DEC Coronavirus appeal has been extended to cover India The situation is also, if we needed one, an illustration of what could have been the impact in the UK  of “letting the virus move through the population” , “taking it on the chin”,  and of not locking down while other countries do so, to avoid (in the words of Johnson’s Greenwich speech), going “beyond what is medically rational to the point of doing real and unnecessary economic damage”. There is debate as to whether Johnson shouted “let the bodies pile high in their thousands”  and thereby demonstrated a lack of empathy with the bereaved and a lack of caring as to how many would die. But after three fatal decisions to delay lockdowns, and after his refusal to meet families of the bereaved, there can be little doubt about the lack of empathy, or of his continued  inclination towards an approach that would have led to a disaster whic
Read more