Quote:
Originally Posted by mapuc
would this mean the end of UK as we know it ?
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Only if Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland decide to indeed separate.
The scots had a referendum and said no to separation while saying yes to EU memberhsip some tie later. Their poltical elader want to initiate a swecond referendum on UK membership, hoping to break away after that. Whether that referndum comes any time soon, is unclear. whether they now would split with the UK, also is unclear.
Northern Ireland's leadership party DUP said they want no solid border (regarding free goods transit) with the Republic of Ireland that is EU territory, but they also said they will so far not break away from the UK or block Johnson's acceptance of a no deal brexit. They would not like a hard brexit, but whether they really would leave the UK if they do not get concessions on the inner-Irish border, is unclear to me.
Wales I do not know. For whatever a reason over here we hear nothing on Wales, never. Must be England's Bielefeld.
So a splitting of the UK is a risk that should be taken into account and taken for real, but so far I do not see it becoming reality. The wrst Johnson could do is start mocking about it and by this spilling fuel into the ember.
Johnson has acchieved one thing. So far, during the reign of May neither Berlin nor Paris took the chance of a hard Brexit serious and a realistic scenario. They both assumed that frustrating the English long enough and having their agent May seated in the Londown office, they would not need to seriously consider that scenario. Now they are in full alarm mode, and it dawns on them that a hard Brexit may become reality. Paris reacts with aggrieved stubborness, Berlin indirecty signaled they are thinking beyond Brexit already and want to secure good ties to London after a Brexit. Unclear whether the Germans will go so far as to embrace a giving up of the Bckstop, but the French and Germans certainly are set to confront each other behind the curtain. They will try to keep the public unaware of it, however, and I assume the French will win the bout.