Evening Standard The worst evening I spent in Downing Street? 

George Osborne

Easy: September 18, 2014, sitting in the small wood-panelled dining room in Number 11 with David Cameron; eating a tepid curry; waiting for the results of the Scottish referendum. 

We thought: are we the people who have lost Scotland? History allows for no recovery from a disaster like that. Ask Lord North, the prime minister condemned for all time for the loss of America. The mistake he made — and with Irish calls for home rule a century later — had been to assume that doing nothing was an option. Our referendum was a proactive plan to keep the United Kingdom together — and it looked like it had put Scottish nationalism back in its box for a generation.

Not any more. By unleashing English nationalism, Brexit has made the future of the UK the central political issue of the coming decade. Northern Ireland is already heading for the exit door. By remaining in the EU single market, it is for all economic intents and purposes now slowly becoming part of a united Ireland. Its prosperity now depends on its relationship with Dublin (and Brussels), not London. The politics will follow.
 
Continue reading @ Evening Standard.

Unleashing Nationalism Has Made The Future Of The UK The Central Issue

Evening Standard The worst evening I spent in Downing Street? 

George Osborne

Easy: September 18, 2014, sitting in the small wood-panelled dining room in Number 11 with David Cameron; eating a tepid curry; waiting for the results of the Scottish referendum. 

We thought: are we the people who have lost Scotland? History allows for no recovery from a disaster like that. Ask Lord North, the prime minister condemned for all time for the loss of America. The mistake he made — and with Irish calls for home rule a century later — had been to assume that doing nothing was an option. Our referendum was a proactive plan to keep the United Kingdom together — and it looked like it had put Scottish nationalism back in its box for a generation.

Not any more. By unleashing English nationalism, Brexit has made the future of the UK the central political issue of the coming decade. Northern Ireland is already heading for the exit door. By remaining in the EU single market, it is for all economic intents and purposes now slowly becoming part of a united Ireland. Its prosperity now depends on its relationship with Dublin (and Brussels), not London. The politics will follow.
 
Continue reading @ Evening Standard.

19 comments:

  1. Six county Ulster Unionists have had their chips. An English man in Spain was adamant Boris Johnson wouldn't go for the border down the Irish Sea because no PM would want to be remembered as the one who lost the six counties and the Union. It was astonishing that the greater consideration was an English individuals political legacy over a nations territorial integrity. It was even more astonishing in hindsight that I should be astonished. That is what has them where they now are in 2021. Looks like reality has set in at last. They can be Little England. Arlene can clear off too, but then again when did any politician ever keep a promise?

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  2. More wank from this cunt. I'm only surprised he displays a whisker of emotion for the Scots as we all know he would put landmines and armed guards around the City of London if he could. Has nobody told him there's more to nationhood than the economy?

    He cries crocodile tears over Scotland but Stevie Wonder can see it's the hydrocarbons he really wants. Shove it up your hole you Tory cunt.

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  3. Steve R why don't you tell us how you really feel. I hope if Arlene does the honourable thing and pisses off you and the likes of you decide to come home. Have to say I had a good giggle at your Tory "love in'.
    Larry Hughes

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  4. Just thinking there that as of yet little talk of fighting the British to remain British or notions of setting up a paramilitary outfit to thwart British democracy and an unwashed Fenian majority at home. Imagine, 1914 it was only Home Rule. Dear oh dear, where did it all go wrong? Right up there with no taxation without representation...
    Larry Hughes

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  5. Brexit was fundamentally an expression of nativist English nationalism and people of that isolationalist, inward-looking ilk do not give a damn about Scotland and Northern Ireland. To the unguarded Boris' of this world they are a drain on the English taxpayer.

    Larry; you might wish to have a peak at the Little Englander as you might see a reflection of yourself.

    As regards Arlene Foster where should she clear off to, Larry? I have no brief for her politics especially her support for Brexit and opposition to abortion reform and same sex marriage for NI (British rights for British citizens, I say) but I appreciate how traumatising it must have been for her at the age of eight to have seen her father staggering into their kitchen with a bullet to his head and later as a teenager to have nearly been blown up along with the rest of her classmates on her bus to school by a bomb supposedly meant just for the part-time UDR bus driver.

    Republicans knew that sentiment very well which is why bombs in London were so much more effective than in Belfast.

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  6. Larry Home rule back then was Rome rule, and that theocratic state is no more. Odd how Norn Iron is now sitting pretty with the best of both economic worlds. Don't think much will change in a hurry, nobody holds on to the past better than the shinners and duppers. Uppa Plebs!

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  7. Barry you do talk some utter SHITE from over there in England. At what point have I advocated Ireland invading and looting and murdering globally? There is no justification for the national integrity of Ireland being restored. Steve R, I am afraid you are wrong. There will be a push for a border poll and unity will happen. Not from violence but through a combination of a nationalist refusal to concede any part of the country to a foreign ugly power like Tory Party England and Unionist hard nosed economic logic, being better off in Eu. Barry Arelene, the democrat she isn't stated she would leave the country if unity happened. Maybe you have a room you can rent her over there? She's coming home.

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    1. Larry,

      Oh I'm not saying it won't change it's just that I still can't see it happening for a decade, and as long as it's peaceful it is what it is. (Can't believe Barry called you a little englander, I'm away til get the popcorn!)

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    2. Larry

      I meant that if you looked at the likes of Nigel Farage, James Delingpole, Peter Hitchens, Desmond Swayne etc. you would see them spouting' poor me', oppressed male garbage about political correctness, liberal suppression of free speech, Covid-19 denialism and affinity for leaders like Putin and Trump.

      In other words, you share many of the prejudices, affinities for conspiracy myths and accompanying disregard for the truth and victim nationalist characteristics of Little Englanders.

      As a general rule crude majoritarianism rarely solves the problems of divided societies and territories.

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  8. Steve R. It's funny. Barry is as entertaining as I try to be controversial. I'm not one advocating a 50+1 percent option. I don't even care if it's like Hong Kong and ten or fifteen years down the line. Osbourne has put the flare up now officially. The EU has played no small part in this border down the Irish Sea result so I hope they step up to the plate and give assurance to unionist farmers who voted remain. Dublin needs to do same and Boris needs to build the bridge so you and I can drive to the old firm in Glasgow. There now...happy ever after.

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    1. Only one of us would be happy driving to the Aul Firm at the minute Larry!

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  9. Larry

    The responsibility for the border down the Irish Sea is entirely down to the Brexiteers who put leaving the single market as a red line in negotiations with the EU.

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  10. Barry, Brexiteers? I'm feeling their pain on so many levels as reality sets in... And it's a beautiful thing.

    STEVE R This will be the Rangers tribute act's first title. It will make things interesting going forward. The deludamol has their fans thinking it's 55. Celtic just got tired winning everything.

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  11. Steve
    Auld firm is dead. You need a time machine to attend one of them. Forgive the pettines. It's all I've got at the minute, after this car crash of a season.

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  12. Talking of football, what's wrong with the 'pool Anthony? I know you're missing big Virgil, but your front three are scoring less than a single man in lockdown, what's going on?

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    1. it is excruciatingly boring to watch their forward line. Somebody pointed out that there have been two US presidents since Liverpool last scored a goal. I haven't a lot of interest in it David, largely because of the fans not being there. That is my primary interest, not the millionaires who strut the park underwhelming and underperforming. A binman who failed to pick up a bin on four shifts would be shown the door. Will write something about it for tomorrow evening.

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  13. David

    Regarding Celtic, there seems to be a rotten dysfunctional culture at the top of the organisation which is seeping into every aspects of the club.

    Being a Leeds United supporter I am only too familiar with the effects of incompetent, if not corrupt ownerships which create black holes which swallow up managers and players alike.

    Although not affiliated to the Old Firm scene, I am genuinely sorry to see the state in which Celtic now find themselves.

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  14. Barry,
    Our board are extremely arrogant. Appointment of Lennon after Rodgers was the cheap option based on the 'Huns are shite' mentality. Recruitment been awful, sold big Moussa to Lyon replaced him with awful strikers, Tierney to Arsenal and replaced him with the worst left back I've ever seen. Armstrong to Southampton and promoted Christie, pale imitation, it goes on and on. All the while Rangers were getting better and better, now they have absolutely strolled the league.
    Anyway, rant over. Leeds are back were you should be, like watching you, people talk about the defence being weak under Bielsa but I like the way he plays, I wanted him for Celtic but it is hard to attract top talent to a mickey mouse league.

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  15. I watched "Sunderland Till I Die" on Netflix.

    Another famous old club with great history and supporters sold down the river by rotten owners.

    Was almost moved to tears by watching it.

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