Don't rule out a significant behind the scenes role for Adams. He's not that old, and he's not the type to spend his golden years fishing or tending his rose garden.

He’ll probably be made a Lord, so Sinn Fein can refuse to sit in the upper house as well.

A Fenian in the house of Lords, words fail me

Arlene Foster laid in to Sinn Fein in a speech today. Her message basically was that Sinn Fein needs to choose between forming a government in Northern Ireland, or accepting direct rule from Westminster.

She went on to say that she doesn't just want a Northern Ireland government that benefits people in Belfast, as the DUP are as concerned about people in Birmingham as people there.

On Brexit she insisted that there must be no border controls in Ireland. Some thing that the EU, which Sinn Fein supports, is making quite difficult at present.

Which isn't being helped by Varadkars mob insisting that the easiest way to maintain an open border when the United Kingdom leaves the EU is for us to remain in the Customs Union. Which basically means remaining in the EU.

Actually, the easiest way to maintain an open border is for Ireland to tell the EU to get fucked we'll make our own arrangements with the United Kingdom thank you very much, we managed before you lot came along, and we'll do alright now, so off you fuck. Or they could just leave the EU altogether and apply to rejoin the United Kingdom in being a democratic, independent trading nation.

The whole nonsense about open borders and free trade that the remainers tried to ply us with during the referendum campaign was fucking hilarious. Eighty-five percent of the worlds economy is outside the European Union, which the European Union deliberately penalises in the advancement of its protection racket. This not only forces EU citizens to pay extortionate prices for some of the most essential goods such as clothes and food, but denies trading and employment opportunities to some of the worlds most underdeveloped regions.

It would seem that Ireland prefers protecting that state, rather than helping to ensure peace, stability and prosperity for people north and south of the border, as well as fostering such for people through out the world.

Meanwhile Russia are describing Brexit in terms of a new opportunity for trade and peace between the United Kingdom and Russia. This is even whilst the political establishment both here and in the USA are still trying to blame Russian for democracy happening!

News interviewer: Hillary, what happened?

Hillary: Russians!

You make some valid points. But you've floated the notion of Ireland rejoining the UK a number of times. The odds of that happening are about the same as Arlene Foster taking vows and entering a convent.

The open border and Good Friday Agreement is a big issue IMHO. The Irish gave up their constitutional claim to demand a united Ireland in exchange for the Good Friday agreement, and the terms of the agreement must be adhered to and not discarded on a whim by British politicians.

If you follow the events surrounding Brexit negotiations properly you will see that it is European politicians that are trying to discard the Good Friday Agreement, or at least to impose a border between the Republic and Ulster. Unless the United Kingdom stays in the Customs Union and agrees to paying money to the EU and adhering to all its regulations.

For any thing less to happens threatens the EUs imagined authority and its federalist ambitions. The current Irish government are being unimaginative in this by simply towing the party line and going along with the EUs demands.

That's not what reports over here say. They are quoting a number of EU politicians repeatedly stating that the Good Friday agreement is vital for continued peace in Northern Ireland and must be preserved because it was voted for by a majority of citizens in both the Northern Ireland and the Republic.

No. What EU negotiators are demanding is that we remain in a customs union and single market, continue to make payments and follow regulations, allow freedom of movement across the entire EU in to the UK, in exchange for a trade agreement, and no border controls between the UK and Ireland. Really they are holding the people of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK for ransom.

The EU have rejected decent offers on citizens rights to remain in the UK, are insisting that their legal system still holds sway here. They have absolutely no interest in any thing except augmenting their federalist ambitions.

The EUs demands are no good for any one in Ireland except its political class, because any thing except giving the EU every thing they want will result in them imposing a border on the island. It will cause division and economic hardship, and Irelands government appear to be cheering the fuckers on!

See what your dreams of freedom have won you eh Paddy?

The European Union is a protection racket and a price fixing cartel. If it was a private organisation operating any where else in the world, its actions would probably be illegal.

The EU problems are probably as you describe, I don't know. But the Good Friday Agreement was made between the UK (including Northern Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland. Britain can't be allowed to scupper that just because they voted for Brexit. It's Britains problem now and they need to resolve it while sticking to the details of the Good Friday agreement deal they helped to broker and made real. It's really that simple.

Before joining the EU, The UK and Ireland had a free movement of goods and people arrangement, this wasn’t just across the land border, but between Great Britain and Ireland. Border controls were put in place because of paramilitary activities, and eventually ended once peace was made. It would be simple to continue that situation except for the EUs insistence. It is not the UK that is attrmpting to scupper Good Friday. It is the EU attempting to subvert our democracy to protect its interests.

I'll have to give you the benefit of better insight FR, as you live over there and can see things that don't be obvious in news reports.
That said, the majority of people I know in the USA have always been more sympathetic to the Irish/Nationalist cause and that's just the way it is. But in Canada where I live now, it's probably more a 50/50 situation where the English speakers like the British vews and the Frenchies like the Irish.

Don’t we fucking know it? The Provisional IRA, funded by Boston dwelling Irish-American gangsters, and equipped by a North African terrorist state.

Well I hear that Sinn Fein do throw a good fundraiser party, for those with deep pockets. :rolleyes:

Bit awkward being associated with the likes of Ghaddafi though eh? Did these parties have a special area for rag-wearing, camel-shagging, shisha-toking jihadees?

Small wonder the likes of Glasgows plastic-provos are going about singing the praises of Lee Rigbys murderers! It was Scotlands government that liberated the Lockerbie bomber as well.... ;)

We are rehashing some old ground, but ok. The IRA Ghaddafi connection was a marriage of oppourtiny. Ghaddafi had no sympathy for the Republican cause, he may not have been able to locate Ireland on a map. The man was insane. On the other hand the provos had no particular love for radical Islam. Ghaddafi had a pathological hatred for Britain. He offered modern weapons and explosives by the boat load, not really surprising the provos accepted.

Read today London is floating a plan to leave the north in the customs union, even if the rest of the UK leaves. Conditional upon a new agreement on restoring power sharing. Not surprisingly, the DUP has its panties in a twist. Anything that separates the north from the rest of the UK generates severe separation anxiety in the DUP.

I am amused that it's a Fine Gael government in the south that's causing all the grief in the border dispute. Fine Gael has been sucking England's cock since partition (figure of speech, nothing personal Leo).

Yes. The DUP are threatening to end the supply and confidence arrangement.

Ha, good one Tom. I had to google it before I got what you meant. I guess Fine Gael don't want to be remembered as the party that let the hated border checkpoints go back up?