Land Of Milk And Honey

at

We’re going to be rich.

This afternoon.

The launch of ‘The Cost of Non Unification – Brexit and the Reunification of Ireland’  by Dr Kurt Hübner, Director of the Institute for European Studies, University of British Columbia.

Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Michelle O’Neill said

“Dr. Hübner and his team bring a wealth of experience to this debate and their conclusions are crystal clear – reunification would lead to a massive €23.5 billion increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) across the island by 2025.

The vast majority of these economic benefits would be in the North, where GDP would increase by 17.9 billion, that equates to over €9000 for every citizen.

“That is in stark contrast to the economic devastation identified in the report of a no-deal Brexit which would lead to a slump in GDP of over €10 billion. Even in a post Brexit scenario where the North remains in the European Single Market, we would still face a GDP decline of almost €4.5 billion.”

FIGHT!

‘Report confirms massive economic windfall from reunification’ – O’Neill (Sinn Féin)

Meanwhile…

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47 thoughts on “Land Of Milk And Honey

    1. Brother Barnabas

      dysfunctional basket case of an economy – even with £10 bn a year and a bloated public sector, it’s still a pooheap

      britain’s doing, britain’s problem

        1. realPolithicks

          Imagine having the DUP involved in Irish politics, it could set the country back a generation.

          1. ReproButina

            The DUP would be an insignificant minority in the Dáil. They’d also have no purpose as the unification would mean the rejection of the Union they stand for.

          2. Cian

            Why? Sinn Fein currently have no purpose as unification was rejected by both NI and ROI (as part of the Good Friday agreement).

            But they have not gone away.

        2. Kolmo

          What’s this “we” business – there are plenty of us who would like a unified country, of course there are problems, mostly related to economic mismanagement, just like the South – we could use it as a base for an Ireland 2.0 project – clear out the old, corrupt, wood – start again, really expose the potential of the whole Island. Had there been no border imposed in 1922 it’s arguable that the 20% non-catholic population would have tempered the excesses of the vatican and it’s agents in the Free State and all that unpleasantness.

        1. postmanpat

          I meant Dr. what’s-his-name being in agreement with the IRA (that murders women & children). boy did you pick that up wrong. Incels ? what are you talking about? It was just standard Ra bashing that most decent people do everyday when talking about SinnFein/IRA (murdering scum)

    1. ReproButina

      I’ve tried the google and it finds nothing but news reports about the report being released.

    2. SOQ

      Yes, I would like to read it too although I can’t see much of a basis for cost savings until the British government come up with some accurate figures as to how much it actually costs to keep NI afloat.

      And once they do that, the cat is really out of the bag.

  1. Jonjo

    Report confirms, is usually used to describe a report on something in the past.

    This report is predicting the future? Shouldn’t they use ‘Report suggests’?

      1. The Old Boy

        I fully agree with Newton Emmerson’s comment on that article – whatever about going after the funding source, the economic assumptions are based in low-tax, centre-right fiscal policy. Why are Sinn Féin so happy to get behind a report that basically says a united Ireland will work well economically provided it behaves according to the Angela Merkel school of prudence with a few corporate tax breaks thrown in?

        1. SOQ

          Because Old Boy, SF will support a united Ireland at any cost which is hardly a surprise in fairness.

          Although I do think that SF being touted (pun) as a catalyst for a corrupt free Ireland is more than a bit of a joke given their carry-on around the border region.

          As someone said to me recently, If you get lost don’t worry because the closer to the border you get, the bigger the houses get. That rule applies both sides of course.

        2. DaithiG

          The current edition of Sinn Fein only jumped on the socialist bandwagon relatively recently. They never gave two hoots about working class politics, it was mostly sectarian to them.
          Official Sinn Fein/WPI were the original Marxists Republicans, but they were out shouted by Gerry and co in the 80s.

        3. Ronan

          His last report also had a caveat that it didn’t allow for any social or political resistance and assumes a smooth economic transition. The report stated outright that it was purely based on economies of scale and the removal of remaining trade barriers.

          Presumably this report is similar caveated. A nice peace of economic analysis which forgets that economics is fundamentally a study of human behavior.

    1. DaithiG

      I agree, I’m no fan of Sinn Fein, but I will always support a United Ireland when won through democratic means.

      Not sure about this report though.

    2. DaithiG

      There is definitely a heavy Blueshirt mentality going on here.

      We have our little haven south of the Mournes, so screw anyone suffering discrimination from “up there”.

  2. Cian

    Senator Mark Daly has compiled an official report on how to achieve a united Ireland. One of the points he raised was
    “One of the most compelling points argues that while the United Nations Human development index, which measures health, education, and income levels worldwide, ranks Ireland as sixth in the world alongside Germany, Canada and the United States. By contrast, Northern Ireland ranks 44th, with Hungary and Montenegro, but would drop below 50th post-Brexit, closer to Kazakhstan and Belarus.”

    :-(

    https://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/roadmap-to-a-united-ireland-revealed-in-new-report-by-leading-irish-politicians

    1. SOQ

      Income levels are relative. What you earn in Dublin would make you very comfortable in most of Poland. Point being, metrics are guaranteed to be skewed if not like with like at every level, which is near impossible.

      ROI vs NI for example. Unemployment benefit is lower in NI but other assistance like rates and rent allowance is much higher, feeding into a far cheaper rental market because of the availability of social housing.

      General salaries are also lower but there is a relatively well functioning public health care system and, free GP and prescriptions for all. Different systems so apples and oranges, hard to measure.

  3. Zaccone

    N.I. gets a £10bn a year subvention from the UK. Reunification is a nice idea in theory but in practice it would cost every single Irish taxpayer 4000eur a year in additional taxes for us to absorb it. It’d be a permanent 2010 level recessionary budget.

    If the Nordies don’t want to be part of the UK any more thats fair enough, let them become an independent country. Then if they manage to fix their basket case economy over a decade or two the issue of reunification can be reviewed.

    1. Cú Chulainn

      Economically, a united Ireland is the most advantageous model for this island. However, we need another 100 years of sucking £10bn pa at the British tit before we are ready to do so.

    2. Otis Blue

      Bear in mind too that a digital tax and a corporation tax harmonised across member states as well as an increase in contributions to the EU will have already reduced tax from 2018 levels.

  4. Rugbyfan

    Think the shinners and nationalists would be quite surprised to find that a lot of people would vote not to have the 6 counties back.

    Here’s to it never happening!

  5. andy

    I’d be fairly sure that most people like the idea of a united Ireland……..
    ….but I’m also fairly sure most Southerners don’t want to pay for it.

  6. Lurganunites

    ‘The Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998, which ended the conflict, acknowledged the legitimacy of the desire for a united Ireland, while declaring that it could only be achieved with the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland.’ – Wikipedia

    Only the people of Northern Ireland have a vote on reunification under the Good Friday Agreement.

    1. andy

      Well, that’s just not true.

      Here’s article 3 of the Irish constitution

      “It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.”

      For emphasis
      “with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island.”

      1. Martco

        yep

        and short of coming up with a 10 grand bonus ball for every southern yes vote gleaned it would never ever pass if a vote was triggered. I don’t know a single normal working person who would vote yes, no chance, its a pile of romantic toss

        SF (or whomever they are riding with….a mysterious group of San Fran based business leaders?! I heard on the news interview earlier) can work away with the information engineering attempts, it just makes them look foolish

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