Great episode of the @restispolitics w/ @campbellclaret & @RoryStewartUK.
Fascinating discussion on Northern Ireland & puzzle of contemporary Unionism. Why have they made such strategically bad decisions in recent years?
A 🧵 w/ some thoughts ⬇️
twitter.com/RestIsPolitics/status/1524329456382488576?s=20&t=FNEjVb8maIzA5fpsmdakrQ
My guess, fwiw, is that Unionism saw backing Brexit as an assertion of their British identity.
But this is mismatched with developments in Conservative Party, which is now English nationalist in outlook, captured by a UKIP tendency.
Hence, Conservatives didn’t think much about the consequences of Brexit for the Union (see also Scotland) and didn’t hesitate to agree to a border in the Irish Sea (even if they are now trying to undo it).
As I’ve noted, the GFA institutionalised a need for cross community consensus. The choices created by Brexit *inevitably* takes NI back to majoritarian, winner-takes-all politics (most obviously in the “where do you put the border?” question).
twitter.com/nickanstead/status/1050006118729207808?s=21&t=jHZImBkXobergPXNiWqNIQ
This is why claims this week by British government to be protecting GFA are so disingenuous. The fundamental logics of (hard) Brexit and the GFA are the antithesis of each other and always will be.
twitter.com/conorburnsuk/status/1524416383987159041?s=21&t=jHZImBkXobergPXNiWqNIQ
Nick Anstead
@NickAnstead
Assoc Prof working on political communication & political ideas @MediaLSE. Also 🧵 nickanstead.
