Oxford City Council has now awarded the "Headington Shark" official listed status as a heritage asset against the wishes of its current owner and despite the artwork being erected in protest against its own planning policies.
'Recent opinion polls have left the DUP deeply worried. By significantly scaling back its Assy election candidate numbers, it's desperately trying to save the seats it holds. There's not one NI constituency where it has a really good chance of making a gain.'
Despite what HYUFD says I think he's wrong about the 'unionist block' (DUP+UUP+TUV) being certain to be ahead of nationalists (SDLP+SF) in terms of seats and both 'blocks' could easily end up level (although I admit the unionists are probably certain to get more votes than nationalists).
Something like this is an entirely plausible scenario:
Which still does not give Nationalists more seats than Unionists and as Unionists will have won more votes the NI Secretary will still refuse a border poll. Especially as the Alliance also oppose a border poll at present
Which is fine because the Nationalists wouldn't win a border poll in the near future, and so the Secretary of State shouldn't call one.
However, several years of Unionists struggling to come to terms with a Nationalist as First Minister, or keeping the institutions collapsed to avoid the same, would do a lot to make unification with the Republic look like a solution to Unionist obstructionism.
If Unionists want to preserve the status quo - Northern Ireland as part of the Union - they have to find a way to make the status quo work.
If the Irish Sea border is removed then Unionists would be prepared to restore the Executive.
Hence the UK government will also invoke Art 16 in due course.
Which will upset almost everyone in NI other than the ones with their arses hanging out of the window in excitement at restarting the Troubles. So you are no better off and in fact much worse off.
Unionists will be much better off and there will be no peace in NI unless their wishes are respected as much as Nationalists
“As much as” not “more than” which normally seems to be the case.
Why not have Ukraine federate with Poland. Becomes one country and at a stroke nullifying need for NATO or EU admission. Putin can get his bits in the East. Has the added benefit of Putin getting what he ultimately wants - Ukraine not being a sovereign nation. As it wouldn't be. The Greater Poland Federation. Sorted.
Merging Lithuania, Byelorus and Ukraine less Donblas and Crimea recreates the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Adding in Poland creates the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Laurence Freedman has a long read on this and the TLDR is:
Ukraine won’t given in - it’s down to Russia to concede, and in turn it boils down to Putin’s personal motivations. Perhaps the West needs to give Putin a personal assurance.
Laurence Freedman has a long read on this and the TLDR is:
Ukraine won’t given in - it’s down to Russia to concede, and in turn it boils down to Putin’s personal motivations. Perhaps the West needs to give Putin a personal assurance.
Comments
Adding in Poland creates the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
I prefer GDL
Why not retire to a Georgian rectory, with a Belfast sink and a view over the ha-ha toward blue remembered hills?