Solution to Irish hard border problem

[corporal jones]

Reunite the whole island of Ireland. Simples!

[nil_desperandum]

DUP?

[Devils_Advocate]

Stay in the EU. Even simpleser!

[Pimlico_Claret]

Gate with a latch

[Dyched]

Line the border with sponges or marshmallows

[brexit]

Give the jocks, paddy's and taffs independence now. We don't need them they are just a drain on our economy.

[Quickenthetempo]

They could do re-uniting both football teams together as they're both absolute pants.

[Dark Cloud]

Build a wall like trump and the Mexicans! Simples!!!

[box_of_frogs]

Reunite the whole island of Ireland. Simples!

Something the majority of the residents of NI don’t want. But hey, let’s just chin off democracy.

[AndrewJB]

Something the majority of the residents of NI don’t want. But hey, let’s just chin off democracy.

If the whole island voted in a referendum on it we could say it is democratic. It might even be the greatest expression of democracy they have ever seen.

[Pstotto]

Ulster voted for remain, so it would make more sense for them to for a union with Ireland and both can agree to accept EU rules. That saves everyone else form a lot of trouble. Nobody in the England has ever had the slightest interest in those countries, really. I don't see why England should suffer their sectarian squabbling, so good riddance. it's not like they are all church goers, is it? And if they were then where is the good Christian bonhomie?

[LeadBelly]

As long as the majority of N Irish want to stay in UK, then we have to support that fully (as they have supported UK historically).

Let the people of NI decide weather to stay in UK or become part of Ireland- NOT the EU or the Irish Republic.

[thatdberight]

If the whole island voted in a referendum on it we could say it is democratic. It might even be the greatest expression of democracy they have ever seen.

So shall we offer to have a referendum with India where the population of both nations vote to see if India and the UK merge with no requirement for a majority in both countries? What an even greater expression of democracy. One of the world's oldest parliamentary democracies and the world's largest democracy possibly joining together. Two countries with a long and interwoven history. Your idea is just great. Really brilliant.

[Nonayforever]

Position a full garrison of our finest British Infantry at each and every border crossing and thoroughly strip search every Taffy, Jock and Paddy before letting them cross.
Extridite all Johnny foreigners from whence they came at short shrift, no expense spared.
Allow, of course, any true blooded Englishman to hop, skip and dance on either side as they feel fit and whenever the feeling takes them.
That should show the bloody EU.

Really simples.

[Bin Ont Turf]

'Solution to Irish hard border problem'

Tell the bog trotters and the sausage, cheese and frog eaters to f**k off.

[MT03ALG]

Give Ireland back to the Irish

[Bin Ont Turf]

Give Ireland back to the Irish

As long as they take back all their travelling filth.

[Rowls]

Tell the EU we're not interested in putting up a border and that we want to encourage free trade.

Set a low tax rate for business, employees and trade and see how the EU reacts.

The UK has no interest or business in a hard border; only the EU does.

[Imploding Turtle]

Tell the EU we're not interested in putting up a border and that we want to encourage free trade.

Set a low tax rate for business, employees and trade and see how the EU reacts.

The UK has no interest or business in a hard border; only the EU does.

Tax cuts are always the answer with you, aren't they?

[box_of_frogs]

If the whole island voted in a referendum on it we could say it is democratic. It might even be the greatest expression of democracy they have ever seen.

It’s not up to the whole island to decide. It’s up to the British citizens who pay British taxes.

[HatfieldClaret]

3 possible solutions.

1. Refuse to put up a border; let the South take the flak when it attempts to

2. Eire leaves the EU and joins the UK trading bloc and signs up to the trade deals etc that the UK has negotiated.

3. Tow the whole island to the South Atlantic and give it to Argentina.

[Tribesmen]

One thing for certain as there is nothing simple here in Ireland .

[summitclaret]

The one certainty of no deal is that there would be a hard border, so a deal just has to be done. Everyone knows it and I would not be surprised if the basis of a deal is already in place in principle whilst the politics is played out.

The tories would be slaughtered at the next GE if they agreed to an open-ended backstop as we would have left in name only, with all of the cons and none of the pros.

[Right_winger]

Tax cuts are always the answer with you, aren't they?

What’s wrong with tax cuts?

[Hipper]

Tell the EU we're not interested in putting up a border and that we want to encourage free trade.

Set a low tax rate for business, employees and trade and see how the EU reacts.

The UK has no interest or business in a hard border; only the EU does.

Doesn't the UK need a hard border with the EU?

How would you control immigration with a free border? Or produce that doesn't match our regulations?

[aggi]

Tell the EU we're not interested in putting up a border and that we want to encourage free trade.

Set a low tax rate for business, employees and trade and see how the EU reacts.

The UK has no interest or business in a hard border; only the EU does.

And free movement of people?

The UK having the same trade deal with China and Ireland is a ballsy move.

[bfcjg]

Give the EU Northern Island and we'll have the Canaries in return. Simple and cheap holidays to boot.

[Spike]

you cant have a border that Travellers will respect and seeing how much damage they already cause in Lancashire what makes anyone think that a hard or soft border would be of any use

[AndrewJB]

So shall we offer to have a referendum with India where the population of both nations vote to see if India and the UK merge with no requirement for a majority in both countries? What an even greater expression of democracy. One of the world's oldest parliamentary democracies and the world's largest democracy possibly joining together. Two countries with a long and interwoven history. Your idea is just great. Really brilliant.

By your argument Scotland and London can stay in the EU.

[Imploding Turtle]

What’s wrong with tax cuts?

They're often extremely fiscally irresponsible.

[Rowls]

Tax cuts are always the answer with you, aren't they?

That's just silly Turtle. It all depends on what the question is. Tax cuts are very powerful motivators and can genuinely improve people's lives.

Take for example the bold move the coalition made back in 2009 to raise the lower tax threshold (ie. a tax cut that helped low earners a lot).

What happened as a result?

Check out this tweet.

https://twitter.com/ChrisJames_90/statu ... 2753136640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[IanMcL]

Give the jocks, paddy's and taffs independence now. We don't need them they are just a drain on our economy.

Wait until you need a proper army!

[gawthorpe_view]

Felt pen and a map.

[aggi]

That's just silly Turtle. It all depends on what the question is. Tax cuts are very powerful motivators and can genuinely improve people's lives.

Take for example the bold move the coalition made back in 2009 to raise the lower tax threshold (ie. a tax cut that helped low earners a lot).

What happened as a result?

Check out this tweet.

https://twitter.com/ChrisJames_90/statu ... 2753136640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can't beat an unsubstantiated fact from a tweet. (It may well be true, including Spain for instance where the figures are negative makes it a bit easier.)

On the other hand, Germany haven't had tax cuts and have created more jobs than the UK in the same period.

Repeat after me, correlation does not imply causation.

[thatdberight]

By your argument Scotland and London can stay in the EU.

It's your argument not mine. But yes, by your argument. But not all of Scotland needs to stay in. And not all of Aberdeen needs to stay outside the EU. And not all of Hill Street, Aberdeen needs to stay in. And if Mrs and Mr McGurk at number12 can't agree then their house can part in, part out. Why not? And if Mr McGurk wants to self-identify as European some days and not other days then why not that as well. People have got rights.

[tiger76]

That's just silly Turtle. It all depends on what the question is. Tax cuts are very powerful motivators and can genuinely improve people's lives.

Take for example the bold move the coalition made back in 2009 to raise the lower tax threshold (ie. a tax cut that helped low earners a lot).

What happened as a result?

Check out this tweet.

https://twitter.com/ChrisJames_90/statu ... 2753136640" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tax cuts can be effective,but it wasn't in 2009 as Labour were still in power then,this policy made sense as it rewarded people working,alas for the LibDems all the credit went to George Osborne and not them.

[Chester Perry]

Nobody in the England has ever had the slightest interest in those countries, really.

Really - not what the history books would say - and most of those proud Ulster folk are descendants of English immigrants - which together with the way England used to enforce it's will on conquered territories explains much of the history of the last 100+ years - Though I am sure that you are well versed in that because you seem well read

[nil_desperandum]

Really - not what the history books would say - and most of those proud Ulster folk are descendants of English immigrants -

Scottish?
Though the rest of your post is correct.

[Pstotto]

Oh yea, and are we going to get an anti-Brexit song from an irish band about another country not theirs, too? How about that famous U2 song 'Deal, bloody Deal.'

[DCWat]

I was reading an article (Belfast Telegraph) whilst over in Belfast, last weekend. It suggested that within the next ten years, the Catholic Protestant mix in NI would swing to such an extent that a united Ireland is very likely.

Not sure on the leaning / reliability of the publication but perhaps we just have a backstop until then

[CrosspoolClarets]

Cocaine smugglers target the EUs border with Suriname and Brazil, two long river borders through the Amazon jungle that are longer than the Irish border and the main checkpoint with Brazil isn’t staffed on Sundays and isn’t staffed on the Brazil side at all.

The “mules” then take internal flights to Paris, many get intercepted but many do not, and if the EU were keen to stamp out illegal goods coming in, surely they would make the bridge borders more heavily policed? Guyane has the highest GDP per capita in South America and once inside people are inside the EU - it is an obvious target for smuggling.

There is of course free movement with Guyane - it is fully in the EU so their citizens are free to come here to the UK. In fact, one of them was the full French Justice Minister until this year.

So I’m sorry, but nobody can tell me that the Irish border needs a solution. The only thing it needs is political will, which I’ve been saying from the start. A tough PM would point this out.

[Hipper]

French Guyana - population 280,000.

You have a solution for the Irish border?

[aggi]

Cocaine smugglers target the EUs border with Suriname and Brazil, two long river borders through the Amazon jungle that are longer than the Irish border and the main checkpoint with Brazil isn’t staffed on Sundays and isn’t staffed on the Brazil side at all.

The “mules” then take internal flights to Paris, many get intercepted but many do not, and if the EU were keen to stamp out illegal goods coming in, surely they would make the bridge borders more heavily policed? Guyane has the highest GDP per capita in South America and once inside people are inside the EU - it is an obvious target for smuggling.

There is of course free movement with Guyane - it is fully in the EU so their citizens are free to come here to the UK. In fact, one of them was the full French Justice Minister until this year.

So I’m sorry, but nobody can tell me that the Irish border needs a solution. The only thing it needs is political will, which I’ve been saying from the start. A tough PM would point this out.

It's more complicated than that though isn't it. French Guiana isn't in the Schengen zone so there is still passport checking when they come into the EU. Also, as it doesn't follow EU VAT and excise rules, goods imported into the EU from French Guiana are treated as if they are from outside the EU and subject to checks, etc

Finally, goods that can be smuggled in are pretty minimal. You can't bring a truckload of goods from French Guiana to France like you could from one part of Ireland to another.

[CleggHall]

I was reading an article (Belfast Telegraph) whilst over in Belfast, last weekend. It suggested that within the next ten years, the Catholic Protestant mix in NI would swing to such an extent that a united Ireland is very likely.

Not sure on the leaning / reliability of the publication but perhaps we just have a backstop until then

The Belfast Telegraph was very much a Unionist/Protestant paper when I lived in Belfast, likewise the Newsletter.

[CrosspoolClarets]

It's more complicated than that though isn't it. French Guiana isn't in the Schengen zone so there is still passport checking when they come into the EU. Also, as it doesn't follow EU VAT and excise rules, goods imported into the EU from French Guiana are treated as if they are from outside the EU and subject to checks, etc

Finally, goods that can be smuggled in are pretty minimal. You can't bring a truckload of goods from French Guiana to France like you could from one part of Ireland to another.

Ireland isn't in Schengen either.

I accept the point about VAT rules, but customs rules remain the same in the South American part of France.

My point isn't about the travel across the water, my point is that FG is officially part of France and inside the EU (unlike Jersey for example) and the EU don't seem too bothered about what goods travel into that bit from Brazil. The checkpoint on the bridge shuts between 12pm and 2pm every day.

The distance is greater, but the EU could just as easily apply flexibility to Ireland given the sensitivities, or at least give both sides at least 5 years to erect barriers. It's a deliberate ploy.