The Irish protocol.

When campaigning for Brexit began Unionist politicians did what Unionist politicians always do. They didn't ask how a Leave vote would affect their constituents in terms of prosperity, opportunity etc. Only 1 agenda mattered ... Will Brexit separate us from them-uns down there and make us feel more British?

The Leave vote won.

5 years later and the North has HIT THE JACKPOT! After decades of being the place of little investment and opportunity suddenly the stars have aligned and the North have access to TWO markets UK AND EU !!

What a result!

Of course now once again Unionist politicians do what Unionist politicians do. F uc k prosperity. Fu ck opportunity. F uc k businesses in the North. We want LESS opportunity cos using our warped logic, 2 markets will make us less British.

The stupidity and insecurity is jaw-dropping. Its moronic.

Can you imagine British citizens in Gibraltar insisting on more stringent border checks after Brexit just to feel more British? Of course not. It would harm their wellbeing.

The statistics, as ever, tell a different story. The demographic least likely to be killed during the conflict were Protestant civilians, so the 'sectarian onslaught' is a blatant lie and inversion of reality. The PIRA's conflict was directed against the British State's security forces while unionist paramilitaries murdered Catholic civilians in the hundreds-and-hundreds.

Still waiting to be enlightened

1. How does the protocol impact unionists negatively but not nationalists ?

2. How would scrapping the protocol benefit unionists?

Obviously these 2 questions have a sectarian slant. The questions really are "how does the protocol impact ANYONE in the North negatively and what would be the benefit to ANYONE of scrapping it?"

They are posed that way as that is what has been suggested here.

I await clarification...

The Telegraph laying out this morning chapter and verse what the UK govt plans to do in the run up to Christmas.

They plan to trigger Article 16 at the end of the month of the protocol and introduce new legislation governing checks at the same time.

Of course there won't be any checks.

So, the EU has a choice. It can continue to be a punching bag for this British govt or it can actually put it's foot down and explain concisely and directly what sanctions will be placed upon the UK.

Saying they are to suspend the TCA in 12 months in response is not enough. There must be immediate targeted sanctions/tarriffs preferably aimed at those narrow sensitive northern tory constituencies and key industries.

This is the only thing this British govt will understand.

It's time for meaningful action, no more weak endless 'legal action' waffle. It doesn't work.

You don't deal with bullies by appeasing them.

Because for a significant section of the Tory party that isn't the worst outcome. They wanted no deal in the first place. They still wouldn't mind no deal. The effect on the public doesn't register due to the saturated right wing press who make sure day in, day out the public know it's all the EU's fault. It would also give Johnson 12 months of political leverage by being seen to be standing up to the EU bogeyman.