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.
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introduction<br />
adopted, at times, contradictory positions, it meant that the benefits<br />
of these different approaches were undermined. A public health<br />
emergency, in this case, a global pandemic, shows in stark relief that<br />
a small island like Ireland should be united and have one health service,<br />
not be divided into two.<br />
A UK Tory prime minister can either placate their right- wing base<br />
or the demands of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a softer<br />
Brexit – they cannot do both. Voluntarily walking away from the<br />
world’s largest economic bloc and stopping the free flow of migration<br />
to and from that bloc, shows that Brexit is an illiberal project. It<br />
is not going global; it is being parochial.<br />
Unionists are saying there will never be <strong>Irish</strong> unity; Nationalist<br />
politicians in the Dáil are saying we want unity but just not yet, or<br />
now is not the time. They are both wrong. We need to start preparing<br />
now because it is going to happen and it needs to be a success. This<br />
pandemic will end at some point, but the constitutional changes will<br />
be irreversible <strong>by</strong> then.<br />
<strong>Unity</strong> within the eu<br />
The EU may not be perfect, but it is a crucial framework for growing<br />
prosperity across Ireland. It truly is the most successful peace process<br />
in history, if we compare the continent of Europe before and after the<br />
founding of the European Union. As a complex framework of rules<br />
and regulations, the EU does need to constantly evolve – the only way<br />
to ensure this happens constructively is through membership, not <strong>by</strong><br />
standing outside the tent and shouting.<br />
The UK government passed the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. 8<br />
As a result of new immigration rules, non- <strong>Irish</strong> EU citizens travelling<br />
from the <strong>Irish</strong> Republic into Northern Ireland will, from 2023, need<br />
to apply for prior travel authorisation. 9 This will be unworkable on<br />
the island of Ireland and risks damaging the all- Ireland economy – it<br />
puts extra bureaucracy on cross- border workers and may dissuade<br />
cross- border tourism. If the UK government were to follow through<br />
on its threats to effectively dismantle the Northern Ireland Protocol,<br />
it would not only restrict Northern Ireland’s access to the EU market<br />
but also will make the <strong>Irish</strong> Republic semi- detached from the European<br />
Single Market too as extra checks may be required to ensure<br />
that inferior goods and products from Britain are not leaking into<br />
the Single Market via Northern Ireland and on to the <strong>Irish</strong> Republic.<br />
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