The headline is not supported by anything in the article.
John Dellingby
1 year ago
While I hope a fair and amicable deal (details of which are lacking in the article) can be done that maintains an open border and doesn’t compromise British sovereignty in Northern Ireland, I am wary as the Irish government has little to no incentive to actually pursue a deal that benefits the UK in this regard. Setting aside historic grievances and an institutional anti-British stance within virtually all levels of Irish politics, so long as Sinn Fein are the most popular party on both sides of the border, it won’t happen.
For Sinn Fein, the Protocol is unification in all but name. Why would they want it scrapped or replaced, ditto their voters? Being tough on this and denying UK jurisdiction in Northern Ireland is what they want. As things stand I don’t see Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael wanting to give them ammunition.
Jim Nichols
1 year ago
“The Northern Ireland Protocol is a device to ensure no customs checks are needed on Ireland’s land border after Brexit.”
Why do so many articles on this subject automatically accept the EU’s side of the story as regards the motive behind the NIP?
At least prefix it with “the EU says…” or similar.
Richard Calhoun
1 year ago
Strange … claiming outbreaks of positivity but absolutely no evidence or detail provided in the article.
Speculation and time wasting at its worst!
Last edited 1 year ago by Richard Calhoun
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Having recently dragged an 80 old former British Army veteran from Plymouth to Northern Ireland against all medical advice, to face a vexatious prosecution, only to have him subsequently catch, and die of COVID 19, in Belfast, I find nothing whatsoever “encouraging “ about Northern Ireland.
All too predictably this callousness is currently being repeated by the vindictive prosecution of yet another British veteran, known only as “Soldier F”, for the events of so called Bloody Sunday more than 50 years ago!
All this malevolent charade is being presided over by the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, one Siobhan Roisin Keegan, (born 1971), the first woman and first catholic ever to hold the office.
As Sinn Fein says “never forgive and NEVER forget “.
In regards Soldier F, he does seem to have at best been extremely irresponsible from what the evidence says. For the veteran in the first case you mention, I think putting him on trial for murder was outrageous based off what I know and I think almost everyone in his position would have done the same thing.
Soldier F may or not have been “extremely irresponsible” however this has now become a ‘Show Trial’ has it not?
Last year the case against two other former British soldiers in a very similar predicament to soldier F collapsed on the grounds of “rules of evidence”. The Northern Ireland Crown Prosecution Service, NOT surprisingly, decided to abandon the case against soldier F. Astonishingly this has now been reversed!
Sadly this pantomime has been presided over by Ms Keegan and can serve no purpose other than to discredit the Northern Ireland Judiciary.
It is interesting to speculate that had the British Army NOT intervened in September 1969 to prevent an internecine civil war, Ms Keegan (born Newry 1971) might never have been conceived let alone born.
He shot a man with a learning disability in the back. How on earth is that acceptable behaviour? It was also completely wrong for him to be paraded around Belfast in the middle of the pandemic like he was some sort of War hero.
Last edited 1 year ago by John Cardin
Dermot O'Sullivan
1 year ago
Above all, it would remove the risk of a UK-‘EU trade war erupting during a winter where it would be of primary benefit to Vladimir Putin.’
Touché.
Richard Calhoun
1 year ago
Strange … claiming outbreaks or positivity but no evidence or detail it the article.
Speculation and time wasting at its best !
Doug Pingel
1 year ago
You can be as humble as you like but you eat Umble Pie
The headline is not supported by anything in the article.
While I hope a fair and amicable deal (details of which are lacking in the article) can be done that maintains an open border and doesn’t compromise British sovereignty in Northern Ireland, I am wary as the Irish government has little to no incentive to actually pursue a deal that benefits the UK in this regard. Setting aside historic grievances and an institutional anti-British stance within virtually all levels of Irish politics, so long as Sinn Fein are the most popular party on both sides of the border, it won’t happen.
For Sinn Fein, the Protocol is unification in all but name. Why would they want it scrapped or replaced, ditto their voters? Being tough on this and denying UK jurisdiction in Northern Ireland is what they want. As things stand I don’t see Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael wanting to give them ammunition.
“The Northern Ireland Protocol is a device to ensure no customs checks are needed on Ireland’s land border after Brexit.”
Why do so many articles on this subject automatically accept the EU’s side of the story as regards the motive behind the NIP?
At least prefix it with “the EU says…” or similar.
Strange … claiming outbreaks of positivity but absolutely no evidence or detail provided in the article.
Speculation and time wasting at its worst!
Having recently dragged an 80 old former British Army veteran from Plymouth to Northern Ireland against all medical advice, to face a vexatious prosecution, only to have him subsequently catch, and die of COVID 19, in Belfast, I find nothing whatsoever “encouraging “ about Northern Ireland.
All too predictably this callousness is currently being repeated by the vindictive prosecution of yet another British veteran, known only as “Soldier F”, for the events of so called Bloody Sunday more than 50 years ago!
All this malevolent charade is being presided over by the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, one Siobhan Roisin Keegan, (born 1971), the first woman and first catholic ever to hold the office.
As Sinn Fein says “never forgive and NEVER forget “.
In regards Soldier F, he does seem to have at best been extremely irresponsible from what the evidence says. For the veteran in the first case you mention, I think putting him on trial for murder was outrageous based off what I know and I think almost everyone in his position would have done the same thing.
Soldier F may or not have been “extremely irresponsible” however this has now become a ‘Show Trial’ has it not?
Last year the case against two other former British soldiers in a very similar predicament to soldier F collapsed on the grounds of “rules of evidence”. The Northern Ireland Crown Prosecution Service, NOT surprisingly, decided to abandon the case against soldier F. Astonishingly this has now been reversed!
Sadly this pantomime has been presided over by Ms Keegan and can serve no purpose other than to discredit the Northern Ireland Judiciary.
It is interesting to speculate that had the British Army NOT intervened in September 1969 to prevent an internecine civil war, Ms Keegan (born Newry 1971) might never have been conceived let alone born.
He shot a man with a learning disability in the back. How on earth is that acceptable behaviour? It was also completely wrong for him to be paraded around Belfast in the middle of the pandemic like he was some sort of War hero.
Above all, it would remove the risk of a UK-‘EU trade war erupting during a winter where it would be of primary benefit to Vladimir Putin.’
Touché.
Strange … claiming outbreaks or positivity but no evidence or detail it the article.
Speculation and time wasting at its best !
You can be as humble as you like but you eat Umble Pie