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Should there be a united Ireland? Should there be a united Ireland?
Yes, Ireland should be united Yes, Ireland should be united
No, Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom No, Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom
Northern Ireland should become its own independent country Northern Ireland should become its own independent country
Ireland should be united as part of the United Kingdom Ireland should be united as part of the United Kingdom
A united Ireland would allow Northern Ireland to have a greater voice A united Ireland would allow Northern Ireland to have a greater voice
Brexit has made a united Ireland necessary Brexit has made a united Ireland necessary
It would streamline Ireland's economy It would streamline Ireland's economy
Ireland is one nation and should be one sovereign state Ireland is one nation and should be one sovereign state
British rule in Ireland was never legitimate British rule in Ireland was never legitimate
The majority of people in Ireland as a whole support it The majority of people in Ireland as a whole support it
Britain doesn't care about Northern Ireland Britain doesn't care about Northern Ireland
The Northern Irish people want to be part of the UK The Northern Irish people want to be part of the UK
It would disrupt the hard-won peace It would disrupt the hard-won peace
It would be giving in to the IRA It would be giving in to the IRA
Northern Ireland is too expensive for Ireland to administer Northern Ireland is too expensive for Ireland to administer
Brexit showed the dangers of major change by referendum Brexit showed the dangers of major change by referendum
Neither Britain or Ireland have Northern Irish interests at heart Neither Britain or Ireland have Northern Irish interests at heart
Northern Ireland has its own distinct culture Northern Ireland has its own distinct culture
All of Ireland would be stronger as part of the UK All of Ireland would be stronger as part of the UK
Debate Mini Map

Should there be a united Ireland?
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Yes, Ireland should be united

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Britain doesn't care about Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland should not be part of a c country that resents its existence as Britain does
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The Argument

After a poll conducted by YouGov in March of 2020 found that 54 percent of British citizens would not be bothered if Northern Ireland left the United Kingdom, Britain's overall disinterest in the future of the region was confirmed. Exposing this weak link between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, this recent survey also reported a 41 percent increase from when they conducted the same study in October 2019. This sentiment is believed to have originated from the lack of Irish history taught in school. As a result, many British citizens claim to feel distant from Ireland as opposed to other regions in the United Kingdom like that of Scotland and Wales. [1] An additional belief that Northern Ireland is a risk to peace and a financial burden to the rest of the United Kingdom remains at the forefront of this argument. Specifically, in looking at HM Treasury figures from 2016-2017, it is made clear that the UK spends more in supporting Northern Ireland than it does to remain in the EU. [2] This attitude is again reflected in numerous other economic areas such as the increasing gap in unemployment between Northern Ireland and the remaining regions in the UK. [3]

Counter arguments

Over the course of the past three years, the UK government has offered up £2.5 billion of financial support and flexibility for the Northern Ireland Executive. The UK government is committed to ensuring the needs of Northern Ireland and this is likewise properly reflected in the future UK shared Prosperity Fund, which will not only benefit Northern Ireland but all parts of the UK.[4] Thus, if Britain truly did not care for Northern Ireland, why would they keep providing financial support to the region? If Britain truly did not care for the future of Northern Ireland, they would have encouraged their independence or reunification with the Republic of Ireland. Instead, Northern Ireland remains supported despite featuring the highest poverty rates in the UK. [5] Therefore, it is clear that Britain does truly care about the destiny of Northern Ireland.

Premises

[P1] Polls show increasing disinterest by British citizens regarding the future of Northern Ireland. [P2] Worries over short-lived peace and reports of a worsening economic situation in Northern Ireland motivate British belief that they should no longer hold responsibility.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2020/04/22/brits-increasingly-dont-care-whether-northern-irel
  2. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/10/northern-ireland-burden-rest-uk-cant-let-get-way-brexit/
  3. https://sluggerotoole.com/2018/08/04/paul-gosling-it-costs-more-for-ni-to-be-within-the-uk-than-for-the-uk-to-be-in-eu-feile18/
  4. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conservative-and-dup-agreement-and-uk-government-financial-support-for-northern-ireland/uk-government-financial-support-for-northern-ireland
  5. https://scopeni.nicva.org/article/northern-ireland-has-the-lowest-poverty-rates-in-the-uk
This page was last edited on Saturday, 27 Jun 2020 at 21:26 UTC

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