I think they were useful, paid for, idiots rather than actually mattering.
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Well Johnson just lied Jane and the DUP were stupid enough to fall for it, āthereāll never be a border in the Irish seaā 
Iām not in favour of a United Ireland, yet. NI is an economic basket case and the Southās corporate tax fiddle, while yielding extraordinarily now, is coming to an end IMO (though Iāve though that for fifteen years but with tax harmonisation etc, I really think it is now). Despite that, personal taxes are high. Ireland canāt afford to subsidise NI and while the concept of a united Island is nice and tidy, the cost will dissuade many southern voters. The two ātraditionsā up North have their own concerns that need to be resolved.
The Irish Government canāt run a piss up in a brewery, and never have been able to. Itās all the MNC tax rolling in that keeps them afloat. Despite all this money, many aspects of the public health service are dreadful, A&Es full of trollies, extraordinary waiting lists to see consultants, this is why nearly 50% of the population has private health care.
The new childrenās hospital given the green light in 2012 may be finished in 2025 with a budget that has expanded from 300m to 2.4b and rising. Work on new maternity hospital given the green light in 2013 hasnāt even started yet because the nuns wouldnāt sell the land it was to be built on to the Government. They thought they could prevent terminations in the new hospital if they were the landlords. It was quite a battle. Itās initial budget was 150m, so thatās another 2b to 3b 
The Irish public transport system is a disaster, including in the capital and there is a housing crisis with low quality, ugly apartment blocks (often build to rent and owned by foreign vulture capital firms) being thrown up everywhere.
I could go on 
But I make these points for two reasons, one, Ireland could no more run a project the size of integrating North and South than they could relocate the Island to the Caribbean, two, would people in the North vote for being part of this? Plus one foot in the EU and one foot in UK could be the start of turning around their economy.
Plus with the reunification of Germany falling to bits, despite the trillions West Germany has subsidised the East with, is there a any point in embarking on another reunification adventure of two things that were never actually united in the first place. One could argue that Ireland has never been united. Anyway, one would need to look back to before the Ulster plantation of 1609.
So, IMHO the āreunificationā of Ireland is, at minimum, a fifty year project, and thatās after everyone is in agreement. The problem, as ever, will be the bloody politicians, who will cock it all up.
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Why is everybody suddenly holier than Starmer?
Rosie Duffield quit the Labour Party in outrage over the gifts Starmer received (before she decided to stand as a Labour MP herself) because his gifts of football tickets and clothes were worth much more than her own gifts of golf tickets.
Fortunately, she has such high moral fibre, she will surely resign and force a by-election rather than continue her seat in HOC earned by representing Labour for her constituency (but I wonāt be holding my breath)
At the other end of the āwho the hell are they ā scale we have Robert Jenrick, favourite to be next leader of the Tory Party, braying about Starmerās poor judgement whilst at the same time squirming out of answering questions on his own judgement in this Sky interview
It is interesting to look up the people behind the Spott Fitness company which he claims just to be a fitness organisation.
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Ah the myth vs the reality.
Far far far from perfect but when you dig down far far far the best performing of the four administrations. 19 years in government in a PR elected system. And the highest mandated party in Europe? 47.7% of the vote.
Of course your newspaper headlines will trump fact. Iāve met you a thousand times.
But you are correct when you say they are a diversion ā¦ look at you now.
People trivialising or underplaying Starmerās gifts and their value do themselves no credit at all. Itās not a little wrong or less wrong. Itās wrong. And itās not just football tickets or a few suits. It much more than that.
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I was allowing for the intro
On what metric? Motorhome purchases?
While forgetting her own gifted ticket to the Open
Sorry John, I didnāt read your post properly (comme dāhab) and waded straight into the clip listening to the whole lot.
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Thatās a strong argument. An unresolved, sub judice matter,. Trial by media is one thing. Trial by numpty is another.
However, contrast the scrutiny. A 2+ year long investigation costing, so far, 4 times the amount of members, not public, money involved. But I see you John. You can sit down now. When I start defending the indefensible you can come back and see me.
There is a genuine question in there, better by what metrics?
Health care. House building. Devolved welfare. Child poverty. Environmental issues. Industrial relations. Education. Care of the elderly. All driven my more stringent targets and openness to scrutiny and all on a budget fixed by Westminster and with no borrowing. In contrast Starmerās government, in its first full month, August 24, borrowed 13Ā½ billion. Scotland contributes 9 - 10% of uk GDP. The Block Grant was 3Ā½% of UK GDP this year. The lowest since devolution. Deliberate underfunding? I think so.
Unfortunately what tends to get publicised in the media are the caveats that go along with any positive Scottish news. No negative caveats, no reporting.
This was written by someone on the right. That doesnāt mean itās untrue, but it contradicts any suggestion that Scotland did well under the SNP.
Also The SNPās record in Scotland: how does it stack up? | MoneyWeek
But it seems that the electorate saw throught them.
This suggests you donāt understand the difference between GDP and government expenditure.
A few days after that report is dated the Scottish National Party celebrated an emphatic, record breaking election win.
But what does that have to do with the price of Keir Starmerās suits.
Just this, I suppose: As predicted, Starmer's an ass, or should that be arse š¤ - #264 by AIIy
Yes, in response to a previous comment. Other than mischief and deflection, whatās your point? I understand youāre upset that Starmer has been found wanting in terms of morals and integrity but focus on the issue. The aforementioned āother partyā has little to zero relevance to the membership of this forum nor to this thread. Itās name was raised as a deflection. You either fell for it or youāre party to it. Neither does you credit.
I disagree, it has no less relevance than any other UK-related comment on a forum about France and it came about from a comment about the relevance of the other UK nations to the UK government.
Iām surprised youāre talking down Scotlandās relevance.
[Eye roll emoji here]
I canāt disagree with any of this. Itās accessible just by signing up.