NI Dec 22 Assembly Election

You'd hope so but hard to know with SF. They fear a plan as much as FF/FG fear unity. Could be the final nail in the coffin. Unity isn't in a strong position in Ireland. As soon as tax increases are mentioned it will tank.

Squabbles in Ireland about how much we are willing to sacrifice for unity are not going to improve support in NI either.

If, and it’s a big if, unionists are permanently afraid and in siege mode, it might have something to do with the fact that they were practically wiped out in the south and have endured a violent sectarian campaign by republicans in the north to drive them out.

why can republicans not get discussions going on a United ireland? Irelands Future booked one of Belfast's smaller venues last year and couldn’t fill it, and seem to have given up. Is it because there is no interest or are they afraid that any proposal will decrease further the small number now wanting a Ui.

you mention Santa. Unionists are more likely to see the benifit of discussions on whether Santa is real, as that is more likely than a Ui in our lifetimes. Hard to get excited about something that is a pipe dream

Why would they be afraid? Unity is not polling well at all. Sure the DUP knew they could try to get a better deal because there was no chance of unity happening.

It's definitely getting less British but still no closer to Unity. Still though, will retain the monarchy, currency etc. Average person probably won't care, once SF implement the Windsor Protocol all the other stakeholders will move on to more pressing issues.

Don't care to be honest. End result is the same irrespective of what Unionism says/does. A border poll is highly unlikely nevermind unity.

I think the DUP are perfectly capable of getting one over themselves.

SF just have to sit back and watch this last 5 years or so.

Is it their fault the Irish government have failed to plan? Not in my opinion.

A political party cannot produce a plan, it can only lobby for a plan to be commenced, which they are doing.

Go along to one of their events discussing this? I'm sure you'll hear plenty of ideas.

The government wil start the process to a plan with a citizens assembly I would bet BTW.

The same thing that happens anything unpopular I'd imagine.

The CA won't produce the plan, it will make recommendations on some of what will be in a plan.

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with Regard to elections, I think it is less likely this morning that stormont will be reestablishing.

I think it was probably 60/40 within dup in favour of accepting the FM. I think that was the other way around in the unionist community ie most did not want to accept. I think there was a real chance dup would have been allowed by community to enter stormont without declaring acceptance or rejection. That may now have gone with the emergence of the secret recording of Maros Sefcovic. I think the wriggle room for the dup is getting smaller and they may be forced to outright reject the FM.

personally I think they should neither accept or reject there is no benifit in doing either. Just simple ‘if we have no further input on the FM, then we have no further comment’

I feel unionists now need to regroup and focus on not alienating the growing middle ground who support the union. Dup have been a disaster for several years, we've had brexit, protocol, covid, sf and alliance teaming up, and still the number wanting a Ui keeps falling. That latest poll is better than my wildest and most optimistic predictions.

I would certainly be open to consider supporting limited Irish language signage etc. tbh the disaster of brexit has played right into unionists hands both in ni and Scotland - the fear of another disastrous independence poll has secured the Uk for a very long time.

Irish language signage is enshrined in law.

Just another law that Unionists block and refuse to implement. Nobody is waiting for them on that either and Irish language signage is now all over NI.

Is it the law = yes.

Do Unionists attempt to block out of insecurity and fear =yes.

Has NI moved on without Unionists again = yes, dual signage is appearing all over NI.

This is what has happened since the Anglo Irish Agreement, why do you think the Protocol is going to be any different? Genuine question.

Let’s be honest with each other.

I have done lots to support Irish language in my area. I have enabled an Irish language youth club in my organisation. I have reasonably close friends who love Irish. The local Irish school will tell you I was the first person on the phone when they had a serious fire, offering the help of my organisation

I detest the erection of Irish language signage on roads and would currently do what I could to block it. It marks out territory and is done by those in authority in the Council. In my area you now know when you are entering a republican dominated street because it has a council Irish sign.

a road needs to be very militant republican to get a sign. My own road is 90% nationalist and yet the recent poll failed because ordinary nationalists know it is divisive.

ypu probably know that the council policies are for dual language and that ulster Scot’s is equally entitled. Unionists are working hard to hold communities back from requesting them as we don’t want every road labelled as either republican or loyalist. In my council there have been many hundreds of applications for Irish and not one for Ulster Scots - same in Belfast.

if unionists ever feel we have lost the reasonable way forward then the flood gates will open for Ulster Scots applications. Then no one will need union flags or GAA flags, kerbstones or GAA clubs to know what area they are in; the council will have tagged every street for anyone visiting to know the sectarian makeup of it.