Sunday 18 November 2007

Passport to Pimlico

The border between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom lies within the island of Ireland. The Labour regime has redrawn it to extend to the whole island.

Those travelling between the mainland UK and Northern Ireland (reports the Mail) will be treated as if they are coming and going to a foreign country. A Statutory Instrument under general, non-specific empowering legislation will make its so, without discussion in Parliament.

Travel between the six counties of Ulster that make up Northern Ireland and the rest of Ulster and the Republic of Ireland will require no such formalities.

So it's not just Scotland that will be leaving the Union.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What did Enoch Powell say about the murder of Airey Neave?

hatfield girl said...

Please tell us, 10.55.

Sackerson said...

Perhaps Anon means this:

In 1984 Powell also claimed that the CIA had murdered Lord Louis Mountbatten and that the deaths of the MPs Airey Neave and Robert Bradford were by the Americans in order to stop Neave's policy of integration for Northern Ireland. Then in 1986 he again argued that INLA had not killed Airey Neave but 'MI6 and their friends' were responsible instead.

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Enoch_Powell_-_Life/id/5024006

hatfield girl said...

It's saying 'no documents' S, so I'll have to try looking on my own. I'm not familiar with modern Irish history,the last 30 years or so, which of course gives a chopped off understanding of modern UK politics; Ireland is always there, in the shadows of policies that seem wholly unrelated, particularly in the Thatcher years.

Purely abstractly, it would seem that American interest would be best served by part of the island being in the UK; or that the Americans would be indifferent, but there's always the Irish vote to consider in the US. How important is it nowadays?

And what would MI6 get out of blowing up unionist politicians? If they have form for blowing up any politicians Mr Salmond had better watch it. Now he really is a thorn.

Anonymous said...

"it would seem that American interest would be best served by part of the island being in the UK;"

This has to be read in the context of the cold war. Ireland was neutral at the time which left a big hole in Nato defences. Supposedly the deal for Eire becoming a member of NATO was that it would only do so as the united island of Ireland. Hence Powell's thesis.

As to whether or not this is still the case - I don't know.