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So after all that, Brexit is done.
Here are a few thoughts from years of reporting on Brexit, and even though we're all sick of it, why it matters.
Here are a few thoughts from years of reporting on Brexit, and even though we're all sick of it, why it matters.
On the surface, Brexit is a grey-coloured bureaucratic headache of food safety standards, trade competition rules, custom checks and truck routes. https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-heres-what-will-change-5231482-Oct2020/
But at its core, Brexit is a debate about what it means for a country to be great.
(I'd argue that a country is only as great as the good quality of life it gives people - its citizens, visitors/applicants, and the vulnerable around the world.)
(I'd argue that a country is only as great as the good quality of life it gives people - its citizens, visitors/applicants, and the vulnerable around the world.)
London-based British governments left people behind, so voters bit back in June 2016 (buoyed by anti-EU promises from UKIP et al).
If you live in a town that has been neglected by Tory and Labour govts, of course you'd vote to get out of that cycle. https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-party-rally-newport-backstop-4819090-Sep2019/
If you live in a town that has been neglected by Tory and Labour govts, of course you'd vote to get out of that cycle. https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-party-rally-newport-backstop-4819090-Sep2019/
This is a core part of politics, which will be so important in Ireland when talking about climate change and Just Transition: governments have to aim not leave any group of citizens behind.
I'm not sure that that Brexit lesson is spoken about often enough.
I'm not sure that that Brexit lesson is spoken about often enough.
It's important for politicians to give people a vision for how their country can be better (Keep the Recovery Going vs Make America Great Again). But I'm not sure the 'A Global Britain' vision marries with what Northern Ireland, Scot & Wal want - that approach may split up the UK
Speaking of Britain and the world: it's been said several times now that the UK underestimated the support Ireland had in European capitals, at EU level, and in the US.
That profoundly impacted on the negotiation clout the UK had.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thejournal.ie/stephen-pound-ireland-4837183-Oct2019/
That profoundly impacted on the negotiation clout the UK had.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thejournal.ie/stephen-pound-ireland-4837183-Oct2019/
Now the EU. The UK helped build it: the Single Market; debating legislation to make it more robust; the talent of Whitehall's civil service; and as has been said repeatedly - it will be sorely missed.
But there were ideological differences... https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-leaving-the-eu-coattails-4986572-Jan2020/
But there were ideological differences... https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-leaving-the-eu-coattails-4986572-Jan2020/
In the 2016 EU referendum, Remain campaigned on a 'remain and reform' basis.
The 'reform' part of the Brexit debate has unfortunately been left by the way side, and may come back to the fore again in some other guise.
The 'reform' part of the Brexit debate has unfortunately been left by the way side, and may come back to the fore again in some other guise.
The effect Brexit would have on Northern Ireland wasn't considered enough by people who campaigned and voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum - or after that.
Articles from 2019 after speaking to Brexiteers in London and Newport
https://www.thejournal.ie/brexiteers-and-ireland-backstop-4447706-Jan2019/
https://www.thejournal.ie/brexiteers-backstop-4827721-Sep2019/
Articles from 2019 after speaking to Brexiteers in London and Newport
https://www.thejournal.ie/brexiteers-and-ireland-backstop-4447706-Jan2019/
https://www.thejournal.ie/brexiteers-backstop-4827721-Sep2019/
In Westminster committees, the unique problems Northern Ireland faced were repeatedly highlighted.
This exchange over the all-island dairy industry is just one example of why Brexit was so much more complicated for Northern Ireland.
https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-committee-brexit-northern-ireland-4302807-Oct2018/
This exchange over the all-island dairy industry is just one example of why Brexit was so much more complicated for Northern Ireland.
https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-committee-brexit-northern-ireland-4302807-Oct2018/
As well-meaning as the Protocol is, I'm not convinced the complex rebate system won't hamper businesses in Northern Ireland, or lock the North into a permanent Brexit debate.
I'm happy to be proved wrong. https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-extension-customs-5121461-Jun2020/
I'm happy to be proved wrong. https://www.thejournal.ie/brexit-extension-customs-5121461-Jun2020/
The ideology of the Good Friday Agreement won over, in the end. But the fight to get the UK to honour it in the context of Brexit - while the UK argued in court that @EmmandJDeSouza wasn't Irish - damaged hard-won trust.
That's the sequel to this story. Tune in next week...
That's the sequel to this story. Tune in next week...
The EU-UK talks were interesting.
In the past few weeks, it was hard to believe any of the EU, UK and Irish pols who said no-deal was the likeliest outcome.
It makes me wonder how much we really know about what happened in the Brexit negotiations.
In the past few weeks, it was hard to believe any of the EU, UK and Irish pols who said no-deal was the likeliest outcome.
It makes me wonder how much we really know about what happened in the Brexit negotiations.
Finally, all these thoughts are from years of reporting on and following the Brexit mayhem, after first becoming interested in it through the fisheries dilemma and Lough Foyle ~late 2017; with fisheries being a central issue until the bitter end. https://www.thejournal.ie/fisheries-brexit-2-5136959-Jul2020/
Brexit was a manic, dramatic, colourful, never-ending story.
It's difficult to condense all of Brexit into a few 140-character packages, so this doesn't represent the full picture - just a flavour of it. https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-border-before-brexit-4231369-Sep2018/
It's difficult to condense all of Brexit into a few 140-character packages, so this doesn't represent the full picture - just a flavour of it. https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-border-before-brexit-4231369-Sep2018/
Thank you to all the patient people who reported and explained Stormont-Brexit, Brussels-Brexit, and London-Brexit over the years. I've learned a lot.
What a diplomatic circus it's been. https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-politicians-4336217-Dec2018/
What a diplomatic circus it's been. https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-politicians-4336217-Dec2018/
