Irish Unity by Ben Collins sampler
Irish Unity is the first book to explore Irish reunification in the aftermath of Brexit which is written by Ben Collins who comes from a pro-British and Unionist background and has lived and worked across the UK. In this book Collins explains how he has come to favour Irish Unity. He uses his twenty years of experience working in political communications to give his insight on the current situation regarding the building momentum for Irish Unity, the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit. In this book he sets out what it would take to win a Border Poll referendum and the importance of preparation in advance.
Inspired by the momentum of the Scottish referendum and taking lessons from elsewhere, Ben Collins guides the reader through the steps needed from both sides that he believes will unite Ireland.
Collins gives deep insight from a Northern Ireland perspective about how the financial, cultural and social ramifications could pan out for citizens in both parts of Ireland and how it would affect the United Kingdom, Europe and the world.
Irish Unity is the first book to explore Irish reunification in the aftermath of Brexit which is written by Ben Collins who comes from a pro-British and Unionist background and has lived and worked across the UK. In this book Collins explains how he has come to favour Irish Unity. He uses his twenty years of experience working in political communications to give his insight on the current situation regarding the building momentum for Irish Unity, the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit. In this book he sets out what it would take to win a Border Poll referendum and the importance of preparation in advance.
Inspired by the momentum of the Scottish referendum and taking lessons from elsewhere, Ben Collins guides the reader through the steps needed from both sides that he believes will unite Ireland.
Collins gives deep insight from a Northern Ireland perspective about how the financial, cultural and social ramifications could pan out for citizens in both parts of Ireland and how it would affect the United Kingdom, Europe and the world.
irish unity where a pro- unification party are now the largest in Northern Ireland; they have fast- tracked the region on a path towards unity. They have even helped to create the conditions for Scottish independence and increased consideration of Welsh independence. In the UK Parliament, Alliance and SDLP MPs voted against the Withdrawal Agreement; in the Northern Ireland Assembly Sinn Féin, SDLP and Alliance voted to withhold consent from the legislation that implemented the Northern Ireland Protocol, which created the Irish Sea border. While the DUP wanted Northern Ireland to be treated the same as the rest of the UK, the backstop negotiated by former Prime Minister Theresa May and voted down by DUP would have created less friction between Northern Ireland and Britain. The options have always been a border between the North and South of Ireland, a border between Northern Ireland and Britain, or the UK remaining within a customs union with the EU. The DUP opposed every possible version of Brexit while refusing to state what they wanted. A clear majority of newly elected members of the Northern Ireland Assembly in the May 2022 election (53 out of 90) support the Northern Ireland Protocol; the EU has already supported the Irish government’s view and the Biden– Harris Administration has unequivocally stated their support for the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol. Yet, the British government threatens to override the Northern Ireland Protocol via domestic legislation. While hugely destabilising for Northern Ireland in particular, this will prove to be the latest in a series of performative acts that have no lasting impact, other than further eroding the reputation of the UK as a serious country. Impact of covid- 19 There is no doubt that the COVID- 19 pandemic has significantly damaged and irrevocably changed our world. However, it has also fasttracked progress in certain areas such as online shopping, remote working and the use of digital health; it has perhaps increased our awareness of the immediate danger posed by the climate crisis and its impact on humanity. For the island of Ireland, the pandemic also showed that public health issues need to be managed on an all- Ireland basis – viruses do not respect borders. The Irish Republic was quicker to move to a lockdown, whereas Northern Ireland alongside the rest of the UK remained open. As the two states on the island 34
introduction adopted, at times, contradictory positions, it meant that the benefits of these different approaches were undermined. A public health emergency, in this case, a global pandemic, shows in stark relief that a small island like Ireland should be united and have one health service, not be divided into two. A UK Tory prime minister can either placate their right- wing base or the demands of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a softer Brexit – they cannot do both. Voluntarily walking away from the world’s largest economic bloc and stopping the free flow of migration to and from that bloc, shows that Brexit is an illiberal project. It is not going global; it is being parochial. Unionists are saying there will never be Irish unity; Nationalist politicians in the Dáil are saying we want unity but just not yet, or now is not the time. They are both wrong. We need to start preparing now because it is going to happen and it needs to be a success. This pandemic will end at some point, but the constitutional changes will be irreversible by then. Unity within the eu The EU may not be perfect, but it is a crucial framework for growing prosperity across Ireland. It truly is the most successful peace process in history, if we compare the continent of Europe before and after the founding of the European Union. As a complex framework of rules and regulations, the EU does need to constantly evolve – the only way to ensure this happens constructively is through membership, not by standing outside the tent and shouting. The UK government passed the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. 8 As a result of new immigration rules, non- Irish EU citizens travelling from the Irish Republic into Northern Ireland will, from 2023, need to apply for prior travel authorisation. 9 This will be unworkable on the island of Ireland and risks damaging the all- Ireland economy – it puts extra bureaucracy on cross- border workers and may dissuade cross- border tourism. If the UK government were to follow through on its threats to effectively dismantle the Northern Ireland Protocol, it would not only restrict Northern Ireland’s access to the EU market but also will make the Irish Republic semi- detached from the European Single Market too as extra checks may be required to ensure that inferior goods and products from Britain are not leaking into the Single Market via Northern Ireland and on to the Irish Republic. 35
- Page 3 and 4: BEN COLLINS grew up in a strongly p
- Page 5 and 6: Irish Unity: Time to Prepare BEN CO
- Page 7: For Dylan Ní neart go cur le chéi
- Page 11 and 12: Acknowledgements I would particular
- Page 13 and 14: Foreword Ben Collins has written a
- Page 15 and 16: Glossary of Terms Alliance: Liberal
- Page 17 and 18: Timeline of Key Events Outlined bel
- Page 19 and 20: timeline of key events 24 March 197
- Page 21 and 22: timeline of key events 26 June 2000
- Page 23 and 24: timeline of key events 16 Jan 2017:
- Page 25 and 26: Preface I should confess right from
- Page 27 and 28: preface Back in Northern Ireland, I
- Page 29 and 30: preface of my unionist background -
- Page 31 and 32: Introduction To say that we are liv
- Page 33 and 34: introduction EU- UK trade deal. The
- Page 35: introduction These examples of peac
- Page 39 and 40: introduction too divisive. Disappoi
- Page 41: introduction Part of the reason tha
irish unity<br />
where a pro- unification party are now the largest in Northern Ireland;<br />
they have fast- tracked the region on a path towards unity. They<br />
have even helped to create the conditions for Scottish independence<br />
and increased consideration of Welsh independence.<br />
In the UK Parliament, Alliance and SDLP MPs voted against the<br />
Withdrawal Agreement; in the Northern Ireland Assembly Sinn Féin,<br />
SDLP and Alliance voted to withhold consent from the legislation that<br />
implemented the Northern Ireland Protocol, which created the <strong>Irish</strong><br />
Sea border. While the DUP wanted Northern Ireland to be treated the<br />
same as the rest of the UK, the backstop negotiated <strong>by</strong> former Prime<br />
Minister Theresa May and voted down <strong>by</strong> DUP would have created<br />
less friction between Northern Ireland and Britain. The options have<br />
always been a border between the North and South of Ireland, a<br />
border between Northern Ireland and Britain, or the UK remaining<br />
within a customs union with the EU. The DUP opposed every possible<br />
version of Brexit while refusing to state what they wanted.<br />
A clear majority of newly elected members of the Northern<br />
Ireland Assembly in the May 2022 election (53 out of 90) support<br />
the Northern Ireland Protocol; the EU has already supported the<br />
<strong>Irish</strong> government’s view and the Biden– Harris Administration has<br />
unequivocally stated their support for the Good Friday Agreement<br />
and the Northern Ireland Protocol. Yet, the British government<br />
threatens to override the Northern Ireland Protocol via domestic legislation.<br />
While hugely destabilising for Northern Ireland in particular,<br />
this will prove to be the latest in a series of performative acts that<br />
have no lasting impact, other than further eroding the reputation of<br />
the UK as a serious country.<br />
Impact of covid- 19<br />
There is no doubt that the COVID- 19 pandemic has significantly damaged<br />
and irrevocably changed our world. However, it has also fasttracked<br />
progress in certain areas such as online shopping, remote<br />
working and the use of digital health; it has perhaps increased our<br />
awareness of the immediate danger posed <strong>by</strong> the climate crisis and<br />
its impact on humanity. For the island of Ireland, the pandemic also<br />
showed that public health issues need to be managed on an all-<br />
Ireland basis – viruses do not respect borders. The <strong>Irish</strong> Republic was<br />
quicker to move to a lockdown, whereas Northern Ireland alongside<br />
the rest of the UK remained open. As the two states on the island<br />
34
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