It is gob smacking that the Dáil has yet to appoint any committees to scrutinise government in the sort of detail that is particularly necessary at a time in European history when the tectonic plates of international relations are shifting so radically. I cannot think of any time after civil war when the opposition in the south effectively went on strike and refused to do their … [Read more...] about Irish neutrality comes under question
Ireland
Could we soon see a united Ireland?
If the British state is under the impression that the SNP’s crisis has stalled the movement to break up the UK, then it’s not paying attention to what’s happening across the Irish Sea. When Sinn Féin wins the next general election in the Republic – which polls say it almost certainly will – it will have two items on its to-do list.Tame Irish capitalism. 2) Unite Ireland.The … [Read more...] about Could we soon see a united Ireland?
Biden, Brexit, EU and Scotland
After the sighs of relief, the questions and analysis start. What does Joe Biden’s victory means for US-European relations – both with the EU and with the UK? What impact might it have on the endgame of the EU-UK Brexit talks currently running into their final days? And if UK-US relations are less warm, how might that impact, if at all, on Scottish independence debates and a … [Read more...] about Biden, Brexit, EU and Scotland
Scotland’s borders and independence
Brexit has changed many of the calculations around the implications of Scottish independence in the European Union compared to 2014, not least the question of borders. That the Scottish Government has been loath to analyse the border question is not surprising – it’s a very tricky one. But now the UK has left the EU – and in just over four months will leave the EU’s single … [Read more...] about Scotland’s borders and independence
Ireland: small EU state model?
As a former colony with a strong sense of independence, Ireland’s willingness to pool its hard-won sovereignty in the European Union has most often been explained as a necessary trade-off between formal sovereignty and effective sovereignty. When Ireland joined the European Communities (EC) it had all the formal attributes of a sovereign, independent state but it was in fact an … [Read more...] about Ireland: small EU state model?