Joint custody? Majority want Irish Republic role in running Northern Ireland if devolution not restored
Almost six in 10 people in Northern Ireland want the government of the Republic of Ireland to play a role in running the province if devolution is not restored, according to a new poll.
The LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph suggests that Sinn Fein, Alliance and Green voters don’t think the DUP will acquiesce to serving under a Sinn Fein First Minister and that Dublin should run Northern Ireland jointly with London.
The DUP is currently boycotting the devolved institutions in protest at the protocol and the party insists it will not countenance a return to a Stormont executive until its economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are removed.
40% of respondents to the poll wanted Westminster to govern Northern Ireland alone, 41% wanted joint authority, and 18% wanted an advisory role for Dublin.
Among DUP, UUP and TUV voters, however, 75% wanted direct rule from London with no Dublin involvement. Only 21% want them with an advisory role to the Irish government and 3% supported joint authority.
67% of those voting for nationalist parties, alliance or the Greens said they didn’t think the DUP would ever sit in an executive branch with a Sinn Féin First Minister.
‘Improved’
On Friday Ireland’s premier praised Rishi Sunak’s “pragmatic” approach to resolving the stand-off over Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said Anglo-Irish relations had significantly improved of late but he said he did not underestimate the challenge of finding consensus between the EU and UK on the contentious Irish Sea trading arrangements.
Speaking at the close of the British-Irish Council summit in Blackpool, Mr Martin reiterated his view that a “window of opportunity” now existed to secure a deal and, in turn, create the circumstances to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland.
Mr Sunak held talks with Mr Martin on Thursday evening when he became the first prime minister in 15 years to attend the summit.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove was the most senior Government representative in attendance on Friday for a plenary session that brought together leaders from the UK’s devolved regions, Ireland and the Crown dependencies.
Northern Ireland had no political representation at the event due to the ongoing impasse over the protocol at Stormont.
At a press conference afterwards, Mr Martin expressed hope that an agreement can be reached.
“I think the relationship, certainly between the Prime Minister and I and both governments, has improved very significantly,” he said.
“And I think we’re both of a mind to – with our colleagues in the European Union – to get this issue resolved in a harmonious way.
“And I think the meeting over these two days has again reinforced the importance of all of us working together on shared challenges and shared issues.
“So therefore, the need to really get this issue resolved is important because we have other bigger issues also. Really significant economic challenges coming our way, we have the war in Ukraine.”
Mr Martin added: “I was struck by the Prime Minister’s pragmatic approach, understanding where the European Union are coming from, but also he then seeking, obviously, that the EU understands where the United Kingdom is coming from.
“That’s always a good basis to start negotiations, and to get involved in negotiations.
“So that’s why I remain hopeful. I do not understate the difficulties. I do not understate the challenges.”
‘Sooner the better’
The UK Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed unilateral domestic legislation, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.
The European Commission has said the latter approach would breach the terms of an international treaty and potentially prompt retaliatory action.
Mr Gove, the UK’s intergovernmental relations minister, said he was “optimistic” about finding a resolution to the row over post-Brexit arrangements but played down any EU or Irish hopes that the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill’s legislative passage would be paused.
“The programme of legislation in the House of Commons is something that is above my paygrade. I’m not aware of any plans to pause consideration of the Protocol Bill,” he said.
“The discussions that the Prime Minister had with all colleagues here about the importance of finding a safe landing zone I think were conducted in a cordial and constructive fashion and as the Northern Ireland Secretary said, he is a glass-half-full man so we remain optimistic about the opportunities of reaching a resolution.”
Mr Gove said he hoped Northern Ireland politicians will be in a position to be able to attend the next summit in the summer.
“The next British-Irish Council meeting will be in Jersey in June or July,” he said.
“I sincerely hope that we have ministers from the Northern Ireland executive there then, the sooner the better.”
Salaries
Last week, the UK Government extended a deadline for calling an election in Northern Ireland and cut the pay of Stormont Assembly members.
Existing legislation gave the Stormont parties almost six months to form a ministerial executive following the last election in May, which saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party for the first time.
The deadline to establish a new executive lapsed on October 28, at which point the Government assumed a legal responsibility to hold a fresh poll within 12 weeks – January 19.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has extended the deadline for parties to form an executive by six weeks to December 8, with the option of a further six-week extension.
With the Stormont deadlock intrinsically linked to the dispute over the protocol, the Government move is designed to provide more space for a deal to be struck between Brussels and London.
The 12-week clock for calling an election will now come into effect either on December 8 – meaning a poll would have to be held by March 2 – or six weeks later on January 19, meaning an election would need to take place by April 13 at the latest.
Mr Heaton-Harris is also cutting the pay of MLAs to reflect the fact they are not currently doing their job as legislators.
Salaries will be reduced by 27.5% – a move in line with a cut imposed by the Government during the last powersharing impasse in Northern Ireland.
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I now feel that a United Ireland will come before a Indy Scotland, it seem to be heading that way fast, and if that is what they want, London should not stand in the way. Good luck to the people of Ireland, as they move forward.
It would be interesting to know what motivates the DUP folk. From what one hears them say on the radio I get the feeling that they want to be a part of an England that has long since disappeared. I suppose one solution might be to offer them the opportunity to migrate to England in the same fashion that Hong Kongers are able to do.
It seems that a British PM with less of a WASP and imperialist mindset might move things forward towards conciliation and a United Ireland. Long overdue!
Tiocfaidh ár lá
“Joint custody” just won’t happen simply because a nasty minority will sabotage any attempt to allow the Republic a formal role in governing the 6 counties. This protracted inability to get government processes back up and running will lead to an even more radical solution – a referendum – which will better define the expectations and wishes of ordinary men and women. During the lead up to such a referendum it will be for the Republic and other sane voices to define their intentions so that the retarded voices on the extreme Unionist/Loyalist fringes are shown up for what they… Read more »
The striking aspect of this article is the UK Prime Minister meeting the Irish Prime Minister on the basis of equal standing not possible a century ago. Wales and Scotland are passed off as UK devolved ‘regions’. How awful is that? A meeting I long to see is that between four PRIME Ministers of four nations of equal standing.