A Permanent Border

Guest writer Martin Dino McGarrigle with a few thoughts on last week's Scottish referendum.

In my opinion this "devo-max" business offered to Scotland is a worrying development.

There is no doubt that the “no” vote in Scotland was seriously bolstered by the stampede of English party leaders across the border, offering all but their first born child to a Scotland that stayed within the Union. 
Now the Scottish have, in essence, voted for the third option of “devo max” there will no doubt be clamourings from Stormont in the coming months and years for the same fiscal autonomy.

Referring to a “no” vote in Scotland Martin McGuinness has already stated “…that has big implications for us and I think that I would hope that we can benefit from the outcome of that.”

Personally I think that the implementation of “devo-max” in the six counties would have two inevitable major effects.

Firstly it would lend further legitimacy to the belief that “Northern Ireland” is a bona fide, viable entity among what David Cameron this morning called “the four nations of the United Kingdom.”

Secondly, for many of the people of the six counties- those who lived through the conflict as well as the generation born since - it could very well provide a state of affairs whereby accepting the status-quo in a shiny new “Northern Ireland” would be a much more irresistible option than voting for a 32 county Ireland and risking a return to bloodshed.

I agree with McGuinness about the “big implications.” 

Unfortunately one of those may well be a permanent border.

3 comments:

  1. I dunno.
    If the people of the Wee 6 have to pay for the "superior" services through heavy taxation..They will vote with their pocket and vote for less taxes and less services.
    We are constantly been told that we can't have a UI because the British subsidize the wee 6 too much.
    If devo-max comes in..It'll be the locals funding themselves. And it won't be such a big a jump as to a 32 County State funding itself.
    In short I predict another argument against a UI been defeated.
    Of course some people will always find any excuse not to have unity.

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