BBC commentator Michael Cockerel just referred to NI as a “political backwater of the UK” @Rubberbandits @broadsheet_ie pic.twitter.com/QPv6OE85FX
— Grainne Tynan (@Gra_Tynan) December 15, 2018
Saturday.
BBC News.
Meanwhile
In reply, Mick tweetz:
To be honest, we are a backwater. But only because we were allowed to be for so long. As long as we didn’t rock the boat too much, squabbles were internal, and there was relative peace, nobody actually gave a fupp. What we’re seeing now is dirty laundry.
We haven’t had a government for 2 years. Anywhere else on the planet and this would be world news. Our kids don’t go to school together. The place is on fire every July. We don’t have access to abortion. Gay people can’t get married. We are governed by bigots. The description is accurate unfortunately.
UK politicians are only now being introduced to the fruit loops who are in charge of this place, and I don’t blame them for being shocked and appalled. Our dysfunctionality has been normalised for us unfortunately. A burning bus is no big deal here. It’s grim.
Fight!
Heard the same realities from a Nordy colleague. He said Titanic and Game of Thrones are the only positive things about the North right now. I’ve stayed in what should be vibrant towns and everything shuts down about 4pm. This dysfunctionalism should not be tolerated. There is a lot of what that poster has said that should not be tolerated. What a kip. At least when Germany unified, East Germany had an eager workforce.
It’s a bit scary that one of the two positive things is a ship that sank on its maiden voyage killing 1500 people.
I think Game Of Thrones might have an even bigger body count.
‘Twas grand when it left here hai’ as every Belfast person will holler to you at any mention of that business.
;-)
in fairness, i did my first bungee jump there on donegall quay last year, so that’s three.
Mick makes some very good points; but it sounds like the problem with Northern Ireland is that it full of Northern Irish people, who keep voting for the same parties, with the predictable outcome of this being the situation that he describes above.
I don’t have anything to offer to how this situation could be changed; it just seems a really sad intractable situation, with lots of good people caught in the middle.
It’s an inherent problem with power sharing. Centrist parties don’t get a look in.
I think you may be paraphrasing Irvine Welsh, when he referred to Edinburgh? I do agree Rob – as a current resident of The North, it is as you say – the status quo. I vote at every election, a legacy of my grandmother who was a Suffragette in Dublin.
Unfortunately, democracy isn’t perfect, but it’s better than the alternative (now, I’m paraphrasing). Following The Good Friday Agreement (Or, The Belfast Agreement as the Unionist parties refer to it) – The RUC was abolished, a new Police Service, The PSNI was to rise from the ashes, 50 per cent Protestant and 50 per cent Catholic. 20 years later, it’s @30 per cent Catholic. The innate hatred is here. My next door neighbour is in hiding following a death threat from Loyalist paramilitaries – his grand parents were Sicilian, so he’s presumed Catholic – he’s not, but he’s a known friend of mine, who is.
I spoke with the PSNI over the weekend – they told me that they can’t do anything for my neighbour. I suggested knocking on a few doors, isn’t that what Police are paid for? I’m next on the list.
Titanic and Game of Thrones – sure, that’s great! This is a back-water, it’s been a thorn in the side of London since 1922. The Constitution allows that if the majority of the 6 counties votes – Ireland will be united. I think it’s currently 51/49. The British took our lands, made our language illegal, committed genocide with a famine – yet, London is in control.
The problem is, no-one in The Republic cares.
“The Constitution allows that if the majority of the 6 counties votes – Ireland will be united”
That’s not how it works. The Republic also needs to vote in favor ot it.
Hey Rotide – your attitude is exactly as my sign-off – The Republic doesn’t care!
The republic cares about the north; but care enough to stump up £9bn per year to pay for it… That is not so clear
Sorry, i wasn’t aware that grasping the actual realities of the good friday agreement indicated a lack of concern for Northern Ireland
“The problem is, no-one in The Republic cares.”
That’s pure nonsense and you know it.
The North needs to stand up for itself. It mas been likened here on previous posts to a dependent child suckling on Britain, that whinges and feels sorry for itself, says the South doesn’t care etc etc. Yiz fought for civil rights, fight for a government. I would be demanding my public representatives get to work. Show some sort of political will and cahunas. It’s all too easy for ye to blame London and Dublin isn’t it. All too easy.
Sure – where do I begin? I thought no-one cared, but here you are. First off, I’m not your enemy. I’m Irish true and throughout. I learned to swim in Bray, by my aunt Sr Bonaventure from Stillorgan Convent. I don’t know why I’m offering my credentials – but, sure, what the hey? Easy? Not so much!
belfast telegraph editorial is calling the stormont impasse a disgrace and warns of what will fill the gap when government is absent:
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/editors-viewpoint/editors-viewpoint-public-must-speak-out-about-stormont-37631490.html
if northern folk should unit over one thing, it should be about getting your representatives to actually represent.
+1, scottser
Sorry, this is @Scottser – I don’t know.
I’m still convinced that the DUP have come to some agreement with the Tories that they’ll prevent a government from forming for the duration of Brexit wrangling to prevent the Shinners from having a viable route to throw any spanners in the works. Not sure why SF aren’t monopolising on this more but I’ve a sneaking suspicion that they’re happy for Brexit to go as badly as possible so they can blame the DUP for a terrible Brexit outcome and also keep their hands clean by having absolutely no involvement while simultaneously blaming the DUP for preventing them from having any involvement.
I have been applying similar logic to why Labour aren’t really going to town on the Tories. Brexit is going to scar British politics for years – doesn’t matter what side you’re on, there is some real hatred being stirred up. Why would Labour want to pull down the Tories until all the blame is fully allocated to the Tories?
I genuinely cannot figure out the DUP strategy on this one though – I don’t think they fear NI Republican politicians nor Irish Politicians as much as they fear indifferent British Politicians. More money is sent to NI than the EU. Put that on a bus and drive it around Britain – the average John Bull might start asking some very difficult questions.
I think you might be presuming too much from your average John Bull there though; Cost/Benefit analysis has not really been their strong point, thus far…
I’m not sure the average john bull even knows NI is part of the UK. Trying to spend Northern Ireland bank notes in England generally draws the “Don’t they use the Euro?” response.
If Sinn Féin started to campaign for a Brexit – DUP voters and other “less-well traveled” unionists would switch to remain in an instant. 100% guarantee.
+1 all over the place – the only reason that SF are ‘opposing’* Brexit is that the DUP and the Tories are in favour of it. Otherwise, they are delighted; they have always opposed the EU.
*though not enough to actually vote against it
I’m so sure as interesting goes, but Michelle O’Neill’s dad is buried next door to my Dad – I’m angry — but I can forgive.
Michael Cockerel is right.
Spot on. The place is a disgrace.
‘backwater’
a place or situation in which no development or progress is taking place.
“Political backwater”… sounds to me to be a very accurate description
The DUP would want to tread quite carefully. N.I. gets approx £200million a week from the UK to keep the lights on. Thats over half of what they send to the EU, and look at all the fuss made over that. And being in the EU actually has tangible economic benefits for the UK, keeping Northern Ireland not so much.
If Labour, or anyone else, starting publicising just how much money gets thrown into NI support for keeping it would become a real talking point.
I am banned from this site and have been asked to stop changing my username to comment, but am being very rude and persistent.
It’s not that we don’t care about Norn Irn.
It’s that we don’t want anything to do with the place, it’s war or it’s welfare dependency.
Jake – exactly! Go to war with your kin, Or, be a united Republic?
Nonsense. We want a decent football team
Old Cockerel, etc.
Next.
The problem – of The North? No-one’s in charge. I was elected Captain of my team, Sean Treacys in London, Not because I was particularly good – alright, I was particularly good – it appeared that I was a great fielder of the ball. The problem was that most of the team were hurlers from Galway and Tipperary who didn’t really play football – Shayna did!! Perhaps it’s time for a Shayna (not necessarily me) to step up to the plate?
“Stepping up to the plate – Back -Stop” – Baseball terms used in terms of The North. Where are the GAA in terms of reference? “Once the ball is thrown in, once an sliothar is thrown in” – Clearly, not. I am not alone of the men and women of Ireland who play for our clubs and keep rural aspects alive with football, hurling and camogie.