Irish News

Eoin

For the first time, nationalist Sinn Féin is the largest party represented in the NI assembly. For a state originally set up 100 years ago to ensure it had a unionist majority, this is a big development. The main unionist party, the DUP, were big brexit supporters and hoped it would strengthen the division between North and South in Ireland. They calculated wrong and doubled down on hard brexit even after the NI electorate voted by a big margin to stay in the EU. Now they are paying the price at the ballot box.

The US has also helped keep the peace process on track when it looked like PM Johnson wanted to try and go back on it - the Irish influence in Congress made sure their opinions on any threat to the peace process were heard loud and clear.

nolaegghead

Sounds like good news for rational people who oppose brexit. Where will NI go from here?

Eoin

NI has effectively dodged the worst of brexit by remaining in the Single Market. NI businesses get no barriers at all dealing with the whole of the EU and some paperwork dealing with the UK. The end result is that NI trade has quickly moved to more North-South trade within Ireland and away from East-West trade across the Irish Sea with GB.

The 'obvious' solution that nobody thought would happen in our lifetime is a border poll on whether to unite Ireland. This would be really big news. The DUP trying to turn the clock back to the troubles and generally acting like the religious right in the US doesn't help their case.