Scotland’s election results could dramatically change Northern Ireland’s future Matthew O’Toole
over 4 years in The guardian
If the SNP gets a mandate for an independence referendum, Northern Ireland’s union with Britain may struggle to survive
Surprisingly, amid the many big spending promises made so far in this election campaign, no one has yet pledged to build a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland. This boondoggle, popularised by a prime minister who was until recently very keen on the support of the Democratic Unionist party, is conservatively estimated to cost £15bn – though it may be much higher due to the challenge of avoiding second world war munitions dumped in the sea.
The proposal is impractical to the point of impossibility, but the fact that the idea has been talked about at all is revealing. The constitutional fates of Scotland and Northern Ireland are now linked in a way they have never been before. In Northern Ireland, this election campaign has seen the emergence of pro-remain voting alliances – albeit still coloured by traditional green and orange allegiances – and the DUP looks likely to lose at least one of its 10 seats as a result. Continue reading...
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