Census 2021 And the implications...

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Results just collated show Northern Ireland Catholics outnumbering Protestants for the first time.....

That this would happen surprises nobody but the timing is just exquisite.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Perfect timing.

I don’t suppose there will be a Border Poll for a while yet, but the eventual outcome can no longer be in doubt.

I wonder if I will live to see it.

[Andrew2]

Me too,
Though there might be a % of Catholics that find it advantagous to have the border?

[birlinn]

Me too,
Though there might be a % of Catholics that find it advantagous to have the border?

And a % of Prods who would prefer to be in the EU?

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Not to mention the expressed preference of the nation as a whole, to do without a hard border.

It's all about protocol.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

There may be a larger percentage of Irish voters who are undecided about welcoming a bunch of Prods into their Republic.

I think I am right in saying that the grown up Unionists, the Ulster Unionists, have been having quiet talks with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil about what a 32 county Ireland will be like, which is encouraging.

I hope that having dismantled the British Empire without much resort to violence (many will say that there was more than enough) we might finish the job and dismantle the United Kingdom without any more.

[NickW]

I hope that having dismantled the British Empire without much resort to violence (many will say that there was more than enough) we might finish the job and dismantle the United Kingdom without any more.

Well, Northern Ireland aside we could start with
1. Giving Nicola her Section 30 Order;
2. Giving the Orkneys, Fair Isle and Shetlands a referendum on whether they wish to remain in Scotland, become a Crown Dependency or rejoin Norway;
3. Decide what we are going to do about the Welsh.

Nick

[lupussonic]

2. Giving the Orkneys, Fair Isle and Shetlands a referendum on whether they wish to remain in Scotland, become a Crown Dependency or rejoin Norway;

Nick

Let Argentina have them. After all....

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Let Argentina have them. After all....

The Welsh - perhaps a better fit with Chile?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Well, Northern Ireland aside we could start with
1. Giving Nicola her Section 30 Order;
2. Giving the Orkneys, Fair Isle and Shetlands a referendum on whether they wish to remain in Scotland, become a Crown Dependency or rejoin Norway;
3. Decide what we are going to do about the Welsh.

Nick

Happy with that - maybe ask the Welsh what they would like? As a nation they are seldom backward in voicing opinions and advice…

[skuthorp]

Actually asking nicely rather than telling might produce a different result than an outright political campaign.

[CWSmith]

I'm still expecting Brexit to have a damaging effect on Northern Ireland. I'm hoping that old tensions don't resurface, but I expect they will.

[john welsford]

The Welsh - perhaps a better fit with Chile?

I understand that there is an area within Patagonia where many of the people speak Welsh, so that might be so far fetched.

John Welsford

[Peerie Maa]

Well, Northern Ireland aside we could start with
1. Giving Nicola her Section 30 Order;
2. Giving the Orkneys, Fair Isle and Shetlands a referendum on whether they wish to remain in Scotland, become a Crown Dependency or rejoin Norway;
3. Decide what we are going to do about the Welsh.

Nick

When Scotland started banging on about "It is Scotland's oil" all those years ago, the Shetland Isles let it be known in no uncertain terms that they wanted to remain British.

@ ACB
I don't think that the Welsh Patagonian's are too happy with the way the Chilean Government treats them.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I think NickW has a good point.

If I were a resident of Shetland or Orkney I would want to rejoin Norway. I recall an “only partly joking” campaign in Shetland to use the oil and gas money to pay the outstanding dowry and join Norway.

[NickW]

When Scotland started banging on about "It is Scotland's oil" all those years ago, the Shetland Isles let it be known in no uncertain terms that they wanted to remain British.

I think NickW has a good point.

If I were a resident of Shetland or Orkney I would want to rejoin Norway. I recall an “only partly joking” campaign in Shetland to use the oil and gas money to pay the outstanding dowry and join Norway.

In 2014, the Islands voted NO by ~2:1 margin. As a Crown Dependency they would have their own Exclusive Economic Zone (with most of the current oil and gas producing fields never mind the fish) whilst relying on whats left of the UK such as foreign affairs and defense. The big downside would be that an independent Scotland's economy would be in a pretty poor shape without the oil and gas revenue.

Nick