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Tom McTague
@TomMcTague
, 3 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
“The people of Northern Ireland must be able to withdraw consent, with all that entails.” It’s hinging on consent— the great overlooked issue, not just by Brussels and Dublin, but London as well. Some officials in Dublin privately accept this
What happens when there’s not a *political* settlement in Northern Ireland acceptable to all? It stops working theatlantic.com/international/…
In 1976, a UK official wrote a note: “Power sharing cannot be imposed. The history of Northern Ireland has shown that any party representing a sizeable group within the community has the power to bring ordered government to an end.”
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More from @TomMcTague see all

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Tom McTague
@TomMcTague
Let me add a touch of scepticism to this morning's Coveney love-in. He is incisive, clear and forceful—all things which have been missing in the UK since 2016. But what did he say that, in any way, helped solve *the* hurdle in the talks: unionist political consent? 1/6
Look at Coveney's (v clearly articulated) point:
—Regulatory alignment is the *only* solution
—Nothing else works (it's been tested)
What is the conclusion?
—Unionist concerns that the backstop is the permanent settlement for N Ireland are valid 2/6
What is unionism's concern? They argue the backstop is *not* a defence of status quo but a *change* over which NI has not given consent, has no control—and has no way to leave
—Given🇮🇪has ruled out time-limit or exit mechanism, how has Coveney sought to answer these concerns? 3/6
Read 6 tweets
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Tom McTague
@TomMcTague
Compromise is *political* in nature. Take Good Friday: Republicanism gave way on the *principle* of Northern Irish consent for reunification. After this, the deal fell into line. Unionism compromised on power sharing before decommissioning. Where are we today? 1/4
Today, the Irish government has a mechanism which achieves its goal: no legal economic border. Any concession from here is sub-optimal based on this goal. Johnson needs to find a reason for *political* concessions 2/4
The question to ponder for all involved in this dispute is whether a solution *not* rooted in political compromise is sustainable? Right now, though, politics is as good as barred from the room: it’s a technical discussion led by the Commission 3/4
Read 4 tweets
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Tom McTague
@TomMcTague
In Boris's novel, 72 Virgins, the central character, the bumbling anti-hero Roger Barlow (a bicycling, angst-ridden Tory MP with only a “knuckle of principle") speculates about what motivates him. Does he have a Thanatos urge, he wonders? — A death urge.
theatlantic.com/international/…
This "death urge" is common among PMs, Lucille Iremonger wrote in her seminal book, The Fiery Chariot, exploring the lives of political leaders. Iremonger describes the hunger for power among the insecure as the Phaeton complex, from the Greek myth theatlantic.com/international/…
Phaeton, a child of the sun god, demands his father prove his love by letting him drive the sun chariot. When he does, Phaeton’s “utter inadequacy” becomes obvious. He plunges, scorching the Earth and creating the Sahara desert, before Jupiter intervenes by striking him down. Eek
Read 6 tweets

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Tony Connelly
@tconnellyRTE
Statement from an Irish govt spokesman ahead of tomorrow’s meeting in Dublin between Boris Johnson & Leo Varadkar:
1/ “The Taoiseach is likely to state that Ireland respects the outcome of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, but will emphasise that Ireland has very deep concerns about the re-emergence of a hard border in a hard Brexit.
2/ Varadkar “will explain that Ireland’s priorities are to protect the rights of people in Northern Ireland, the peace process, and our place in the single market on which our jobs and our economy depend.
Read 6 tweets
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Ian Dunt
@IanDunt
Right well, the most historic day in parliament since the last one is about to kick off. You can follow along here parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/ff…
I'll be covering it, ageing in real time, pretty much throughout, apart from when I dash out for vaping, Gregg's sausage rolls, and eventually probably gin and tonics.
Loads of shit to get through before the crucial debate. It's basically a timetable from the depths of hell.
Read 284 tweets
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Murphy de Pfeffel Murphy
@LiamTheBrewer
Thread.
#ireland #brexi

Having spent an hour tring to explain what's happening here to a #Brexit person in #England I'm now convinced that we are in serious trouble /1

#ireland #gfa
I don't believe that most people who voted leave have any malign intent towards us. I'm not a fan of the EU myself. Still less do I think its an England/Ireland thing, I was born in England, I was schooled there & my partner is English /2
But there is a yawning gap of comprehension about the troubles & what it took to stop it. /3
Read 25 tweets
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BorderWarnings
@BorderWarnings
1~
18.04.2016
Theresa Villiers contradicts statements by Ahern, Hayes and Lawson.
irishnews.com/news/2016/04/1…
2~
Warnings from:
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister
Peter Mandleson, former U.K. Northern Ireland secretary
Dermot Ahern, Former Irish Foreign Minister
Conor Patterson, CEO Newry and Mourne Co-operative and Enterprise Agency
politico.eu/article/northe…
3~
12.05.2016
FW Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister:
"The very moment that the U.K. leaves, we'll have a border again between Ireland and Northern Ireland. That has at least the potential to ignite a conflict that apparently has become totally calm."
politico.eu/article/juncke…
Read 92 tweets
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Patrick Kielty
@PatricKielty
Dear @BorisJohnson,
There is no better Brexit when it comes to the Good Friday Agreement and Northern Ireland. As you still seem bamboozled by all this Paddywackery here’s a few pointers for your next stab in the dark -
1. Northern Ireland is made up of a majority of Unionists (as in the Conservative and Unionist Party) and, believe it or not, a rather large minority of Nationalists (as in Irish Nationalists)
2. These Irish Nationalists don’t see themselves as British but rather inconveniently as Irish (who knew?)
Read 23 tweets
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Hilary Churchill #FBPE
@atatimelikethis
Northern Ireland is a tipping point for Brexit. Even my more Brextremist family members have started to say "Whoa. Hold on there old chap. We liked this idea but not enough to screw that whole Ireland thing up again".

And that from the least pragmatic Brexiters I know.
Over the last month its become a palpable problem. First the weird technology that the more buffon supporters jumped on, but the older family members frowned at. Then the hoey intervention that the GFA wasnt sustainable and now Boris Borders.

The whole thing scares the horses
Northern Ireland is forcing critical evaluation for the first time by Brexiters with strong opinions.

Europe. Far away, full of bureaucrats. Economy, £ fall too disconnected.

But NI? Anyone willing to piss that away without thinking has lost credibility and become a cultist.
Read 10 tweets

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