Tag: Northern Ireland
Marriage from hell: what can Australia’s coalition tell us about the Tory-DUP government?
For the first time in British history, the Conservatives will be forced to rely on the hardline, illiberal Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to push through legislation. It is also the first time in the modern era that the British government will be forced to rely on a party with a strong sense of regional identity […]
‘Mum-of-two, 40’: but women rise to the top in Northern Irish politics
Women now lead three of the five main parties in Northern Ireland and make up 30% of the Assembly. Danielle Roberts looks at the sea-change in women’s participation in Northern Irish politics since the Good Friday Agreement, which has happened in spite of the lack of Unionist female politicians. While a number of BME and LGBT […]
After the 2 March election, the Northern Ireland settlement needs a rethink
The Northern Ireland Assembly election on 2 March is likely to be followed by a difficult political negotiation. Alan Whysall argues that it must not be mere political sticking plaster. There is no real alternative to the basic architecture of the institutions, but there are fundamental issues to be dealt with about the way they […]
We’re taking back control – but who’s going to wield it?
Britain voted to ‘take back control’ from the EU, and Theresa May’s Lancaster House speech made the repatriation of power to Westminster a priority. But it is far from clear what kind of Brexit Britons want, nor how many of these powers will go to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rather than the UK Parliament. Katie Ghose […]
The quality of mercy: how religion and ethno-nationalism influence attitudes towards amnesty in Northern Ireland
The Good Friday Agreement gave political resonance to concepts like amnesty, forgiveness and mercy – all of them familiar from the lexicon of religion. John D Brewer and Bernadette C Hayes found that religious and ethno-national identity in Northern Ireland both influence public attitudes towards amnesty. In particular, belief in the Bible as the literal word of […]
Time to invite the ‘Others’ to the table: a proposal to make South Tyrol more inclusive
South Tyrol, an autonomous and predominantly German-speaking province in northern Italy, is regarded as one of the most successful cases of ‘consociational’ democracy – a political system in which people deeply divided along ethnic, linguistic, or other lines share power. One of the rights that speakers of German, Italian and Ladin living in the province […]
What happens when a violent separatist group moderates? The case of Sinn Féin and the IRA
What does it mean for a radical or separatist group to moderate? Does it change its values and goals in the process, or only the ways it communicates them? Looking at Irish republicans, Matthew Whiting explains how Sinn Féin and the IRA came to change their behaviour but not necessarily their goals – while also emphasising […]
Thanks to the referendum, the tyranny of the majority has prevailed
Many people living in the UK, and some Britons outside it, had no vote in the referendum. Scotland and Northern Ireland chose to Remain but will be forced to leave. Arash Heydarian Pashakhanlou argues the UK has succumbed to the tyranny of the majority thanks to the decision to put EU membership to a referendum. […]
Brexit and Northern Ireland: key issues and possible consequences
In this post Alan Whysall sets out the key issues for Northern Ireland in the upcoming Brexit negotiations and examines the likely consequences. He suggests that, if things do not go well, there is a risk of the unwinding of political and social progress. It is urgent that the options for Northern Ireland are quickly […]
A contested Brexit would be disruptive for Ireland, both North and South
Ireland’s exposure to Brexit has been widely anticipated in political, policy and academic commentary and analysis. The resulting vulnerability – and the challenges and opportunities arising from it – have been confirmed by the dramatic events of the days following the vote to Leave. Paul Gillespie explains. Similar PostsNorthern Ireland and the Withdrawal AgreementBrexit has blown open […]
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