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Should the UK have remained in the EU?
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The UK does not need to worry about Ireland when it comes to Brexit

The UK's relationship with Ireland is irrelevant when it comes to Brexit. Ireland relies on the UK, and the British government should not worry about Ireland's EU status.
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Context

There is a long history of violence at the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. However, leaving the EU does not mean that the violence will return. Many proposals, including a checkpoint known as the backstop, negate public fears of an Irish border dispute.

The Argument

The Irish "Troubles" began in the 1960s and lasted for around thirty years. At its core, there is a disagreement between two sides: the Nationalists, also known as Republicans, against the Unionists, also known as Loyalists. The Nationalists are mainly Catholic and want a united and independent island of Ireland. Unionists are often Protestants and want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. During the "Troubles," thousands of people were killed and bombed on both sides of the issue. The erection of walls and checkpoints was a vivid representation of the "Troubles." When Brexit came about, people in the UK and Ireland became worried about the possibility that these checkpoints would return. These concerned citizens fear the violent outbreaks that they saw earlier in their lives could return at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.[1] Ireland relies on the United Kingdom for its existence.[2] The potential trade debacle, which some people in the UK and the EU fear, is overblown. Implementing a backstop in the British seas or Kent solves that issue.[3] Therefore, there is no need to bring back the border checkpoints that existed until the Good Friday Agreement. Additionally, the French representatives for the EU must be pragmatic regarding border crossings for trade. Brexit will work successfully once the prominent figures within the European Union accept sensible negotiations.[4] Concerns over the island just west of the UK are exaggerated and unjustified.

Counter arguments

The fears of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a valid concern. There is a long and checkered history of violence along the border – historians coined this era as The Troubles. Bombings and murders were committed on both sides of this fight.[5] After the Good Friday Agreement, both governments eliminated checkpoints, took down barriers, and peace became more common. The possibility of a physical border between both countries to check trade brings up fears among Irish and British alike that the Good Friday agreement may dissolve.[6]

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/13941061/northern-irelands-violent-history-explained
  2. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ukip-mep-gerard-batten_uk_5a1bc658e4b0d4906cafb721?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGi6VhIzK_y8E0fQ9twozhZ5AD9Wn5HUk6jgYnZZvtb79CP-dp-ulN80MO8J2U-qEouA75b45Qw-bqWGjnHn8XpRcWDHqpr10j71lhAHdNP41AYOvz_p4gSn7wf-932f-WaFHfbf3Rqj8iugMVqsJy_xoZkGby36Mr5diW2SJILl
  3. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8770719/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-Government-insists-no-hard-border-Ireland-one-Kent.html
  4. https://www.politico.eu/article/michael-gove-2-day-brexit-border-chaos-uk-france/
  5. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the-history-of-the-irish-border-from-plantation-to-brexit-1.3769423
  6. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42180074
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 27 Oct 2020 at 00:09 UTC

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