I hope the UK remains as a single entity after Brexit, with all member countries still in place. But if the population of any one of the 4 home countries makes plain in a referendum they wish to leave, I don’t think the UK government should stand in their way.
Last poll had 3 out of 5 happy with a NI only backstop.
And in the referendum we voted to stay in the EU.
The increase in ‘remain’ voters in NI is the effect of no deal on the border.
UK numers were better than expected today - but not NI - the Ulster Bank report that we have entered a recession.
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Now the Speaker is standing down.
Aye - it will be Oct 31 - so current mp’s will get to vote for replacement - not new incoming after an election - the thinking is that new guys are more likely to follow the whip, current guys more likely to follow their conscious.
Hopefully it will be oct 31st.
And if it is 31st oct then it will be a no-deal brexit.
Then this nonsense is finally over for the EU. For the UK it will last another couple of years (or decades?) i guess.
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The chancellor says the Govt has a cunning plan.
Here is my cunning plan:
1/ Have a referendum in NI only asking for a mandate for a NI only backstop.
(Confirmation would bring legitimacy and would negate the DUP protests that this backstop is undemocratic.)
2/ Let the NI Govt have a role in future discussions during the transition period.
(Not a veto, this would encourage NI politicians to start up their local Govt soonest)
3/ Westminster - how to get a deal through. Get a larger portion of remainers on board by EU agreeing an easy accession route should any future UK wide referendum vote to go back in.
(hope here is that brexiteers will seize the chance of getting out, their mantra is that the UK will prosper and flourish outside the EU so no fears on a referendum result in the future - likewise remainers will acknowledge the result of the past referendum but be confident that things will be bad outside and a majority will want back in).
This plan is called the Peterma ‘cummings’ plan 
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It doesnt look like the gov has any plans besides how to get a new general election and be elected again. It doesnt look like theres anything constructive going on, ever since johnson took his seat. (Opinion)
Unfortunately. The hints are clear, at any press conference any country leader BoJo has spoken to says “there are no constructive solutions presented” directly hitting at BoJo in public media while he stands there smiling and pretending that things are getting done.
Agreed. I’m sure Boris Johnson doesn’t care one way or another about Brexit. His objective is purely political in the professional sense - get power, keep power, avoid getting the blame.
He’s got power. To keep power short-term he ideally needs a clear majority in the Commons. To get that he needs the Brexit party to either not oppose him before a hard/no-deal Brexit or to be neutered after an achieved hard/no-deal Brexit.
To keep power long-term and evade blame he only needs to avoid a recession. Only a deep recession can now get Jeremy Corbyn back in the running for PM. Even then, if its really serious and long-lasting, he’ll be too old to get into No.10…
Thats pretty sad considering that brexit is the bigest political, sociological and economical event the UK had since the end of WW2 and with the most striking effects on the country.
The countries unity is at stake.
The countries economy is at stske.
The countries reputation is at stake (well, no more actually as the rep has been damaged beyond repair already).
The countries geopolitical position is at stake.
And the person in charge is highly incompetent and selfcentred.
It is said that Italy will be the first to follow us out 
Will the fate of the United Kingdom soon be in the hands of two convicted liars?
Scottish courts declare suspension of parliament unlawful
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Yes. Tories challenge that declaration at the supreme court. So the scottish declaration is on hold for another few weeks and useless untill the supreme court made its decition.
I bet if supreme court says its unlawfull BoJo will put it to the european court just to buy some more time, which would be hilariously hypocrate.
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Incompetent at being PM remains to be seen.
Self-centred? - He seems very competent at being self-centred.
Very bizarre decision. How can the detection of a political motive behind a political decisions make that decision unlawful?
And how could the decisive political motive be proven anyway? Surely it is the action or the impacts of the action which should form the unlawful part?
Its surely like if I decide to go and buy some bread from Smith’s bakery on Pinhoe Road. There could be multiple reasons why I wanted to buy bread and why I selected Smith’s and why I didn’t want to buy rice instead and why I didn’t go to Sainsbury’s and why I didn’t order it online. How could a trained legal mind divine which is my primary motive? And ignore all the rest? Surely it is the purchase of bread which is the important point?
Or maybe, just maybe, the Scottish equivocator judges decided to pass the buck. They didn’t want to be seen as the people who scuppered the legal action so they found opposite the High Court and now they’re letting the Supreme Court make the decision and carry the can? Or is that too cynical of me?
Or is it possible you are not being cynical enough ?
One question is WHY the case was brought in Scotland for actions taken in England ?
There does seem to be some history - if you have a root about, of Scottish Court making life ‘Difficult’ for the English Establishment and my assessment is that the case was deliberately brought in Scotland for that precise reason !
There is a doctrine of “Separation of Powers” between the Judiciary and the Legislature under the British Constitution and I’m at a loss to understand why the defence does not seem to have pled on that basis ? odd !
However that exact point has been used today by the High Court in Belfast to summarily throw out a further 3 cases which came up for consideration before them (but of course “mainstream media” will just not bother to report that fact ! ) 
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Ehmm… it wasn’t the Scottish court that passed the buck - it was the UK Govt’s decision to appeal to the Supreme court.
That case was referencing a hard border and peace process taken by a member of the unionist community.
2 reasons - firstly the decision to close affects Scotland as much as it does England and second that a twin case was going thru English courts.
Because that is not a defence - the legislature is subject to the Law - one of the definitions of democracy.
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Yes, obviously. But that step was completely foreseeable when the Scottish decision was announced. If the Scottish court had made the same decision as the High Court, the government would not now be taking this matter to the Supreme Court. Hence, passing the Scottish judges passed the buck to the Supreme Court.
What do you see as best for NI as a whole post-Brexit? -
Stay in the UK?
Go independent? Apply to join the EU?
Join the Republic?
Michel Barnier commented recently to a NI business person that NI were offered the best possible deal back in Dec 2017 - one that the then UK PM thought was good for NI, and one that enraged the Scots because they too had not been made the same offer.
Stay in the UK and align to the EU - commonly referred to now as ‘NI only’ backstop.
A recent poll said that 3 out of 5 NI people agree.
Speaking of polls and in line with this thread, conservative Lord Ashcroft …
My Northern Ireland survey finds the Union on a knife-edge - Lord Ashcroft Polls
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