On the assumption that the UK would remain in the EU.

On NI, apart from the loyalists, there are reports that sentiment toward reunification as means to remain in the EU is growing.

Your evidence for that is?

So, those that always wanted to be part of the UK, remain so, and those that always wanted to be part of Ireland, remain so too.

​​​​​​No t really that black and white. Norway and Canada++ are examples of soft Brexit. Even within the EU there's talk of a two speed Europe. The problem is that Britain is composed of two camps each wanting different things, with not much centre ground (yet).

I see the Norway solution as the worst of all worlds. You are tied to their rules but have no say in how they are created. Who the hell would want that? It would be far better to stay in the EU.

I thought that this article set the options out quite well: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46393399

Yes, that's the problem: for Remainers Norway is inferior to full membership and for Leavers it's not enough of a leave. As long as Remain/Leave are wedded to their ideological positions (and I know I am) compromise is near impossible.

Good article, neatly and concisely explaining the tremendous mess we find ourselves in. It seems to me the country us being held hostage by the hard-Brexit Tory faction and a few others. About 10% of parliament, they in term fuel simplistic Brextreemism in the general public, creating a kind of feedback loop. If they could be neutralised and/or new PM something might be neogotiable.

They could have done this, but they must have wanted to incentvise the UK to come to an actual decision rather than extend a state of limbo indefinitely. In any case, May agreed to it, despite serious objections from her cabinet. You can understand why the EU behaves as it does, the UK is negotiating without due authority.

Good debate here!

I assume Norway wants the Norway deal, in response to "who would want that" . When most of the rules are sensible it's not a bad idea to let someone else do all the work...

NI was expected to become majority Catholic by 2025 wasn't it? Meaning all of the troubles really were in vain- if you could just wait things out.

And yes I think the Scottish referendum was tied to an assumption that the UK would remain in the EU- having said that, the SNP took a substantial knock in May's disastrous snap election, which was obviously post brexit referendum.

There was an interesting article about tory Tribes on the BBC, and it seems there aren't simple Remain and brexiteer factions... there is a Canada deal (hardish brexit) and a tiny Norway deal (as soft as you can get) faction too.

I don't see this.

Firstly, the assumption that everyone who is nominally Catholic has the same political view is flawed. Secondly, even if a majority of the population wanted a united Ireland, the British government has a responsibility to the minority population.

In any event, civil unrest and/or the break up of the union are not traditionally the objectives of Conservative governments.

Politically yes, but I'd suspect the majority of Catholics there favour independence to some degree, much as many protestants would prefer to remain in the UK.

Likewise, wouldn't ulster be just like scotland? A simple majority in a referendum should do it?

Brexit has to be the biggest threat to the union since...

Not an expert on NI, but I believe the Good Friday Agreement has a provision whereby if at some future point the majority of NI choose reunification, the British government will accept the decision.

Norway is a much smaller and more homogeneous country than the UK, and is willing to balance limited sovereignty share with ultimate Norweigen control of its oil and fisheries assets. Britain's economy is far more integrated with the EU, and we have much more labour mobility, so being a mere 'rule taker' ​​​is therefore less palatable.

"independence" is an odd way of describing reunification. My understanding is that a barrier to a united Ireland is the relative poverty of the Republic, few people would choose to leave a relatively affluent country to join a poorer one. Brexit may, of course, resolve that.

Independence would be an intermediate step, would facilitate brexit and would let the Irelands sort out reunification in their own timetable. Or they could just stay independent presumably both in the EU with no border. The EU is a good vehicle for resolving regional issues like that, they should have done the same in Catalonia.

And yes, Brexit making the country relatively poorer will sort out a lot of issues- immigration being one. People won't want to come...

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Re Catalonia ... Are you really suggesting the EU should have intervened in an internal Spanish problem ?