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1/To illustrate the hidden trick in Boris Johnson’s ‘compromise proposal’, a brief explanation of power sharing in Northern Ireland...
2/The GFA established a power sharing mechanism so that all major decisions have to be taken by cross community agreement, so both the DUP and SF have a veto on change in NI. That means everything depends on how the question is put and it can be skewed in favour of one side.
3/ If, after four years, the question is do you want NI’s membership of the Single Market to continue, then the DUP can say no. If however the question is do you want to change the status quo by leaving the single market, then SF can say no. Johnson has proposed the former.
4/This is obviously unacceptable as it leaves control on staying in the single market in the hands of the DUP regardless of what the majority in NI want and is arguably against the sport of the GFA.
5/The only compromise I can see that might work is NI remaining in the single market AND customs union indefinitely, and this status quo can only be changed by a cross community majority in Stormont or a majority in a referendum.
6/But since this would be very hard for the DUP it will never be proposed by Johnson.
