On Northern Ireland

I am going to stay away from the politics of NI, just deal with the facts, as I see them.

I have been writing about Brexit for very nearly six years, and I can remember when the issue with NI was first raised, how, even to me, if you sort out how Brexit would work for NI, then all of Brexit would be easy.

Brexit and NI wasn't easy, of course.

May defined Brexit as leaving both the EU SM and CU, so there had to be a regulatory border. You have to decide where.

It could either be across Ireland, or in the North Sea.

Across Ireland would be against key parts of the GFA and enrage Nationalists.

In the Irish Sea would break the UK SM and enrage Unionists.

But you had to choose one.

May chose across Ireland as, she said, no UK PM could break up the Union (of the UK).

Along came Johnson and did just that.

May's deal had this as a backstop, where if all else failed. Johnson's plan was with a frontstop, so the border was there from the start.

This was Johnson's plan and idea, and negotiated by Frost, agreed by his Government, won an election on the back of implementing, and Parliament voted into Law.

At the time, it was pointed out what this meant, but Johnson denied reality saying there was no border, despite the NIP making explicit that checks would be required.

So, Johnson, Frost and Raab et all are complaining that the deal they negotiated and voted into Law contains the very things they denied it does, and for this, they blame the EU.

Of course.

Worse than this, the UK Government should have sought the approval of the three devolved assemblies/Parliaments, but chose not to. So, the UK Government have forced their form of Brexit, the one they now deny, onto Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland without their conscent.

The DUP wanted, and still wantes Brexit, just one without the border in the Irish Sea.

The DUP lost it's place as the largest party in Stormont to Sinn Fein, so the Nationalist Party will have the symbolic post of First Minister. But the DUP said they will not accept taking part in power sharing until the NIP is changed. The NIP that the UK imposed on Northern Ireland without its concsent.

The border cannot go across Ireland.

Both the EU and US have warned the UK Government about breaking either the NIP or the WA.

But its the EU's fault, apparently.

As a remoaner, I just wish Brexiteers and this Government would take ownership of this shotshow they created, accept that they won, and what they won, and make it work. So we can just get on with our lives, as best we can. But that's too much to ask. Apparently.