Will The UK Break Up ?

 Northern Ireland (Belfast) recently had their local Parliamentary elections. For the first time since 1921 the Catholic majority Sinn Fein Party which is the political wing of the militant Irish Republican Army or IRA has won a majority of the seats. 

The Sinn Fein is an offshoot of the other Sinn Fein Party located across the border in the Republic of Ireland. Both the Sinn Fein in the Irish republic as well as in Northern Ireland want to unite Northern Ireland (Belfast) with the Republic of Ireland. 

• SINN FEIN WINS NORTHERN IRELAND ELECTIONS
• political wing of Irish Republican Army (IRA)
• major shift in regional political dynamics
• first time since 1921 Sinn Fein won most votes 
• Sinn Fein also dominant political party in Republic of Ireland 
• Pro-U.K. parties lost following Brexit  
• united Ireland stated objective of Sinn Fein and IRA
   
• setback for U.K., implications beyond Ireland, Northern Ireland
• lead to sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants 
• Sinn Fein victory will open old wounds destabilizing Northern Ireland 
• push for united Ireland could accelerate Scotland’s independence

 

 

My Comments :

The 'peace accord' between the British government and the Irish Republican Army or IRA is now 25 years old (Sinn Fein, IRA, Provisional IRA or PIRA are all the same people ok). The peace has not held very well and there has been violence in Northern Ireland although not to the extent of the earlier times. 

The Sinn Fein in Belfast cannot be separated from the Sinn Fein across the border in the Irish Republic. Both of them have one main objective ie to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. 

Over in Scotland the push for independence has not waned either. The last referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 was defeated 55% for and 45% against.  A swing of 5% would have created an independent Scotland.

The British mother-ship is not fully intact. The English invaded Ireland in 1170 and they invaded Scotland in 1385. After 746 years of colonisation the Irish fought and gained their independence from the Brits in 1916. But they lost a chunk of territory in Northern Ireland. 

Despite such a long passage of time the fact that the Sinn Feins and the SNP in Scotland still wave their own flags shows that the United Kingdom will not last forever.

Why is this relevant to us? We lost Singapore. We have Sabah and Sarawak. There is also bangsa something.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.