This entity came into being in 1801 and consists of the countries which make up Britain, England (by far the senior partner) Scotland and Wales, and originally until 1922 Ireland. The modern variant of this bloc is made up of Britain and “Northern Ireland” which came about as part of the treaty of 6th December 1921 ending the Irish War of Independence.
Today, Boris Johnson, the PM and leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party - emphasis for the purpose of this piece being on the Unionist part of the title - and is the man, along with his side kick, David Frost, responsible for trying to hold the European Union to ransom. He constantly threatens to invoke article 16 of the “Northern Ireland Protocol” if the EU do not cede more ground held within the said protocol. This is despite him, Johnson, signing an agreement with the EU some time ago which by de-facto places a “border in the Irish Sea”, despite promising the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) he would not do so.
This arrangement between the UK Government and the EU was introduced to prevent, in line with the internationally recognised Good Friday Agreement (GFA), a hard border on the island of Ireland. The ink on the agreement was not dry when Barmy Boz and Frosty Dave demanded more concessions from the EU. They were, and are, greatly supported by the DUP who, incidentally were never really in favour of the GFA in the first place back in 1998.
The “Northern Ireland Protocol” is designed to protect the GFA not wreck it as, it appears, the DUP wish to do. The DUP claim this protocol lessens their role and “Britishness” under the union with Britain, which it certainly does not. If anything, it gives the six counties (Northern Ireland) the best of both worlds, access to the EU market, which after Brexit they are no longer part of despite voting to remain in the bloc, and the British market. All the protocol does is ensure checks are made at the ports in The North of Ireland, as opposed to having a customs border with the twenty-six counties.
This to the DUP is not on as they are the only country, as they see it, within the UK where goods from one part of the entity are checked before entering another component part. For example, they may point to Wales and ask; do checks between England and Wales on goods travelling around the UK get checked? The answer is, of course, no. Then, goes the DUP argument, why do goods coming from one part of the UK to another in the case of “Northern Ireland” need to be checked? The answer is simple, and the DUP know it, is because the twenty-six counties are still part of the EU and goods coming from the six-counties to the twenty-six are, as far as the EU are concerned, coming from a jurisdiction outside the European Union. As there is no hard border on the island what has effectively become known as a border down the Irish Sea was a way round this conundrum.
The DUP have been crying merry hell over this, ignoring the fact that their jurisdiction benefits from two markets, since the protocol was signed. Johnson signed this, then went back on his word and every time the EU make modifications to try and placate unionist concerns, Johnson and Frost ask for more. It is a little like Hitler's claims on Czechoslovakia for the Sudetenland back in 1938. Once he was granted these he came back for more until in the end he took the whole country. Johnson and Frost are acting similar over this protocol. Every time the EU make concessions they come back with more demands, demands they know the EU cannot give! So, what are their real intentions? The DUP would, it appears, prefer to be third class Englishmen impoverished than give into the EU and, perhaps more importantly from their angle, the Dublin Government.
Article 16 of the “Northern Ireland Protocol” allows under certain circumstances both the EU and the UK to invoke unilaterally, something Johnson has been threatening to do for some time. The EU, foolishly, some time ago threatened to invoke the article over Covid-19 vaccines and, realising their idiotic error, backtracked after two hours and withdrew the threat. Johnson and Frost just keep making the same threat and this time it looks like they may go through with it, much to the delight of the DUP. The DUP were always for leaving the EU, once again as they do so often when it suits them, ignoring the popular vote to remain within the EU by the electorate of the six-counties.
The DUP have been crying merry hell over this, ignoring the fact that their jurisdiction benefits from two markets, since the protocol was signed. Johnson signed this, then went back on his word and every time the EU make modifications to try and placate unionist concerns, Johnson and Frost ask for more. It is a little like Hitler's claims on Czechoslovakia for the Sudetenland back in 1938. Once he was granted these he came back for more until in the end he took the whole country. Johnson and Frost are acting similar over this protocol. Every time the EU make concessions they come back with more demands, demands they know the EU cannot give! So, what are their real intentions? The DUP would, it appears, prefer to be third class Englishmen impoverished than give into the EU and, perhaps more importantly from their angle, the Dublin Government.
Article 16 of the “Northern Ireland Protocol” allows under certain circumstances both the EU and the UK to invoke unilaterally, something Johnson has been threatening to do for some time. The EU, foolishly, some time ago threatened to invoke the article over Covid-19 vaccines and, realising their idiotic error, backtracked after two hours and withdrew the threat. Johnson and Frost just keep making the same threat and this time it looks like they may go through with it, much to the delight of the DUP. The DUP were always for leaving the EU, once again as they do so often when it suits them, ignoring the popular vote to remain within the EU by the electorate of the six-counties.
For the record, and in brief, article 16 reads; “safeguard measures can be taken if the protocol is leading to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist.” The protocol does not lead to economic difficulties, as has been explained (though a little tweaking could be applied to limit the checks) as access to two lucrative markets is available to the six-counties. It certainly does not cause environmental difficulties, certainly as far as I can see anymore than already exist under capitalist conditions, and, by safeguarding the GFA societal difficulties are minimal compared with the years between 1922 and 1998. The unionist position within the UK is safeguarded under the GFA so why undermine it?
So, what are these two, Johnson and Frost, after? The DUP would rather live in the gutter, it appears, than give up any of their self-perceived “Britishness”. The six-counties, or “Northern Ireland” are not part of Britain at all, apart from in the eyes of the Unionist and Loyalist politicians they are a far-flung outpost on the western flank of the UK, something totally different. So, their argument against the protocol does not stand up at all, unless their real agenda is scrapping the GFA! After all, the late Ian Paisley before he reportedly mellowed once said; ‘our mission is to smash the Sinn Fein agenda’ which was why they did not initially sign up to the GFA. Does this still privately and clandestinely still apply?
In Britain, along with Frost and Johnson, though not in the Conservative and Unionist party, a man called Nigel Farage is always on the prowl trying to undermine the Dublin Government over the twenty-six counties membership of the EU. He wants, as do Johnson and Frost I suspect, Ireland out of the EU with Britain. This would, of course, make us once again economically dependent on the UK and our government would be, like Vichy France after the German invasion of that country in 1940, an executive in name only. Could this be their real agenda?
In Britain, along with Frost and Johnson, though not in the Conservative and Unionist party, a man called Nigel Farage is always on the prowl trying to undermine the Dublin Government over the twenty-six counties membership of the EU. He wants, as do Johnson and Frost I suspect, Ireland out of the EU with Britain. This would, of course, make us once again economically dependent on the UK and our government would be, like Vichy France after the German invasion of that country in 1940, an executive in name only. Could this be their real agenda?
I do not have the answers but these two men, Johnson and Frost, continue placing obstacles in front of any compromise with the EU which could result in a hard border on the island of Ireland. They will then turn around and blame the EU for this happening and the breaking of the GFA. They can then agitate from afar for the twenty-six counties to leave the EU and re-join their misleadingly named “commonwealth.” Could this be on their radar? I do not know, but be prepared for every expediency and contingency when dealing with the British Government, the DUP might do well to remember this also. Should this be the case, and I do hope I am wrong, the Irish people must remember if either through the clandestine antics of Johnson and Frost we finish up back under the heel of Britain, who the Head of State would be! It would not be our democratically elected President as the British monarch is the head of the Commonwealth. In this aspect, and if my far-flung suspicions hold any water, Fine Gael, the party most sympathetic to re-joining the British Commonwealth may prove hidden allies to this venture, allies Johnson and Frost may find invaluable! This is pure speculation but these are strange times and sometimes it is better to be prepared for every eventuality no matter how far-fetched these may appear.
I am no lover of the European Union as it is a capitalist bloc to promote capitalist economic ideas but Ireland out of the EU would not change this. It would not bring socialism, or the socialist republic, any closer. In fact, it would be worse for us as the alternative in the modern economic world would be back under the yolk of the UK something I suspect Johnson, Frost and perhaps the DUP have not lost sight of!!
I am no lover of the European Union as it is a capitalist bloc to promote capitalist economic ideas but Ireland out of the EU would not change this. It would not bring socialism, or the socialist republic, any closer. In fact, it would be worse for us as the alternative in the modern economic world would be back under the yolk of the UK something I suspect Johnson, Frost and perhaps the DUP have not lost sight of!!
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Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist |
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