NI Assembly Elections - A rerun of the GFA referendum?

If anyone called MoN or MLMD a "weasel", you would be straight to the mods complaining, or making a big thing about it for weeks, probably with someone else alongside claiming it was misogynistic.

Where is your proof that he hasn't congratulated her? Maybe he congratulated her in an interview you didn't hear? Maybe he is waiting for her to be actually elected First Minister before congratulating her? You have acted as judge and jury in declaring him a "weasel" without any evidence at all. Where are your standards of demanding proof?

As usual, you have made a complete fool of yourself by pretending to have standards, pretending to give people the benefit of the doubt. It is low-level debating, pretty pathetic.

As regards the terms for a poll being met; partitionists/unionists need to understand that a majority in favour of unity is not the same as a nationalist majority in favour of unity because if the latter were the criteria then we already would have met the conditions.

There will be voters in the so-called 'middle ground' (Ireland amongst their fellow Irish, not the Irish Sea) who will vote for a UI for many many reasons including returning to the EU, economic prospects, ending political chaos, dislike of the DUP, neutering unionist bigotry, and whatever you're having yourself.

The waters to trawl for a UI will get larger while unionism shrinks.

Pro-reunification parties on 40.8%, including SF's highest ever vote.

Alliance (Pro-EU) on 13.5%.

You can include many many Protestant pragmatics who want a return to the EU and realise that reunification ensures it.

The vote would be tight if held this year. Less so with every passing year. Reunification is inevitable and the sooner it's donee the better for the NI economy.

The Unionist people and pragmatists don't need a united Ireland to get an EU passport (the GFA gives them that). Neither do they need a united Ireland for access to EU markets (the Protocol gives them that). Neither will a united Ireland make them better off (the South can't afford the €12 billion subsidy or pay for the pensions).

Sure they want to be in the EU, but they as many of the benefits of the EU as they need, without actually having to be in it. They can even work in the EU as border workers, and get all the benefits.

In reality the subvention is only £2m-£3m when you look at the details. Easily covered by EU, US and other investment post-reunification.

The businesses in NI know that. Most will be discreetly pushing for reunification. They're aware of its inevitability and it ends the uncertainty caused by an absurd UK government. Pragmatism will win out.

The alliance vote is a mix of Catholic, Protestant, Unionist, Nationalist, Liberal and Green. Almost all are pro-EU and reunification is a way back in plus an end to uncertainty.

Siege mentality Blanch, your prerogative but you must feel like one of the Afrikaans railing against the end of Apartheid.

Too far out of date, Brexit has happened since then. The Sept 2019 Ashcroft poll of that era showed 51% supported reunification. That is also out of date.

In this one, the most detailed peer-reviewed analysis to date from Dublin City University. The cost of the subvention is 20%-30% what the partitionists mendaciously infer. That argument will be discredited during the referendum campaign.

Just so you are aware. Surveys with a question "would you vote for a UI tomorrow" differ from "would you vote for a UI in the future".

Also surveys with the question "would you vote for a UI if it raised taxes" differ again so do questions about flags and anthems. The problem is its always in the abstract and theres not even a hint of plan in place, until we know exactly what it would look like and how it would work any polling is like throwing darts blindfolded.

That is just delusional stuff. A wish and a prayer type of expectation.

Politics is a dirty game and SF are the best exponents of this in the Republic. Complaining people aren’t congratulating them on their success is ridiculous.