Power sharing stalemate in Northern Ireland: unforeseen consequences thereof.

[danny la rouge]

I couldn’t see a thread on the general topic. But even if there is one, I felt compelled to share this news that has popped up in my inbox. It’s an interesting (and in my view welcome) development that may see the DUP and other social reactionaries frothing at the mouth:

MPs vote to compel legal same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland

“MPs have voted today in favour of compelling the UK Government to make same-sex marriage legal in Northern Ireland, to decriminalise abortion, and to make provision for legal abortion in the cases of sexual crime and foetal abnormality.

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill, as amended, will now require the Government to change the law in both of these areas by 21 October, unless power-sharing in Northern Ireland resumes before that date. Humanists UK lobbied MPs in favour of both amendments and has welcomed the votes as a potentially landmark moment in bringing about same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland.

[...]

The Bill will now pass to the House of Lords, where it remains to be seen if the Government attempts to remove the new amendments.”

 

[Poi E]

Great thread and this had me wondering. The SNP voted on this despite it not being a Scotland matter.

Given the absence of the NI exec, isn't everything run from London again anyway? So legislating for NI follows from the administrative function being in London?

ETA: but why shove such a DUP-sensitive issue on the legislative timetable at this moment? What is at play here?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Some good news for once - and fuck the DUP and their reactionary views on treating people equally.

Hope it gets better enshrined in law - there doesn't seem much prospect of the NI Assembly being reinstated by the October deadline. We'll have to see what happens in the Lords.

Look forward ro the hissy fit by awful Arlene and co.

 

[SpackleFrog]

I couldn’t see a thread on the general topic. But even if there is one, I felt compelled to share this news that has popped up in my inbox. It’s an interesting (and in my view welcome) development that may see the DUP and other social reactionaries frothing at the mouth:

MPs vote to compel legal same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland

“MPs have voted today in favour of compelling the UK Government to make same-sex marriage legal in Northern Ireland, to decriminalise abortion, and to make provision for legal abortion in the cases of sexual crime and foetal abnormality.

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill, as amended, will now require the Government to change the law in both of these areas by 21 October, unless power-sharing in Northern Ireland resumes before that date. Humanists UK lobbied MPs in favour of both amendments and has welcomed the votes as a potentially landmark moment in bringing about same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland.

[...]

The Bill will now pass to the House of Lords, where it remains to be seen if the Government attempts to remove the new amendments.”

This is hilarous. Basically gives the DUP a choice between accepting the Shinners Irish language demands and restarting the auld power sharing or accepting abortion rights and equal marriage rights in NI, no?

there doesn't seem much prospect of the NI Assembly being reinstated by the October deadline. We'll have to see what happens in the Lords.

There is if the DUP get a wiggle on and agree to equal language rights.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

There is if the DUP get a wiggle on and agree to equal language rights.

True enough. Might give them a kick up the arse so they behave (relatively) more reasonably. Good that they've been painted into a corner though.

 

[redsquirrel]

ETA: but why shove such a DUP-sensitive issue on the legislative timetable at this moment? What is at play here?

Isn't it just the case that Labour don't have any issue at play here and there are enough socially liberal Tories that they can force this through?

 

[vanya]

DUP claim to be passionate unionists but they don't want to join the rest of the UK on abortion and gay marriage; want their own little statelet guaranteed by the UK where they can maintain a reactionary backwater.

 

[Dogsauce]

It’ll probably cause a bit of friction between the tories and the DUP, good bit of troublemaking by Labour with a noble cause as well. DUP might have to up their apoplexy game, which tbh will take some doing.

 

[Pickman's model]

I couldn’t see a thread on the general topic. But even if there is one, I felt compelled to share this news that has popped up in my inbox. It’s an interesting (and in my view welcome) development that may see the DUP and other social reactionaries frothing at the mouth:

MPs vote to compel legal same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland

“MPs have voted today in favour of compelling the UK Government to make same-sex marriage legal in Northern Ireland, to decriminalise abortion, and to make provision for legal abortion in the cases of sexual crime and foetal abnormality.

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill, as amended, will now require the Government to change the law in both of these areas by 21 October, unless power-sharing in Northern Ireland resumes before that date. Humanists UK lobbied MPs in favour of both amendments and has welcomed the votes as a potentially landmark moment in bringing about same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland.

[...]

The Bill will now pass to the House of Lords, where it remains to be seen if the Government attempts to remove the new amendments.”

abortion law in six counties breaches uk's human rights commitments
NI abortion law 'breaches human rights'

 

[danny la rouge]

Good.

 

[Teaboy]

Yeah its clear that the DUP have no real desire to sort out a devolved government at Stormont. They're too busy enjoying themselves playing kingmaker at Westminster, besides government from Westminster is kind of what they want anyway.

This should concentrate their minds a bit more. Also Johnson's proposals to the EU for Northern Ireland explicitly state that the Northern Ireland government will have the right to decide (every 4 years) whether to stay in the all Ireland trade / customs zone. Which, of course, actually requires there be to a government there to make that decision.

 

[likesfish]

The Irish language act is no more than is done for welsh speakers with the exception of Gaeltacht areas although according to wikki theres only 2 possible ones at the moment creating them and getting people to actually speak Irish 2 different things allegedly at the height of the troubles there were more Irish speakers in the British army than the ira . Corbyn should impose it and watch their bigoted heads explode.
Ulster-scots is a blatant con job and should be fucked off

 

[Thaw]

Ulster-scots is a blatant con job and should be fucked off

Who should rule that Ulster-Scots is not a language? The English? The Scots? The Irish?

 

[gosub]

33 million per Member of Stormont to return to work.....

 

[moochedit]

Not sure exactly what has been agreed here but if the "internal border" between ni and gb is now "gone" making the unionists happy then won't that restart all the beef between the uk and eu again?

 

[PR1Berske]

All 80 pages of the "Safeguarding the Union" paper are here:

Safeguarding the Union - GOV.UK