Post 9peg9fSpVJbPECPxGy by tfb@functional.cafe
(DIR) More posts by tfb@functional.cafe
(DIR) Post #9peMlbQowklIduI03s by fitheach@mstdn.io
2019-12-05T09:13:02Z
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WHAT?It appears the DUP have done a complete volte-face, and are now saying staying in the EU would be better than Boris Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement. After all those votes where they supported the Tories on Brexit.Unbelievable.#politics #DUP #BoJo #Brexit #GE2019
(DIR) Post #9peRTTox0KOFb2kn1k by wbtd@ex.tending.to
2019-12-05T09:58:06.291491Z
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@fitheach From their perspective, that means that they see a link between rejecting Brexit and staying in the UK. What changed?
(DIR) Post #9peRTUDPXNxKouCK9Y by fitheach@mstdn.io
2019-12-05T10:05:49Z
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@wbtd Possibly, a realisation that supporting Brexit was going to harm their prospects for the General Election. After all those months supporting a minority Tory government they change their minds, with less than seven days to the GE. What else can it be?
(DIR) Post #9peS3243gA3Lw8lyZE by cathal@octodon.social
2019-12-05T10:12:17Z
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@fitheach This is totally consistent from their position, I would have expected this 100%. Their overriding issue is unionism, euroscepticism is a distant concern against unionism. And BoJo's deal puts a border between NI and Britain, so it's never gonna be acceptable to the DUP, even temporarily.
(DIR) Post #9peg9fSpVJbPECPxGy by tfb@functional.cafe
2019-12-05T10:43:00Z
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@cathalWell, whatever power machinations really motivate the DUP, they're trying to appeal to unionists, and the implications of BJ's border-in-the-Irish-Sea deal are making themselves more and more clear. Certainly ordinary NI unionists are freaking out about the current Brexit plan.@fitheach
(DIR) Post #9peg9fpAAHT0LSrn5E by cathal@octodon.social
2019-12-05T11:05:05Z
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@tfb @fitheach May had their loyalty precisely because she promised complete alignment between NI and Britain, and from their POV leaving Europe meant distancing NI from Ireland. But May also promised EU (Ireland) no border with NI, and promised the English that Britain would leave the customs Union.She wasn't going to betray English brexiteers and couldn't betray EU and still win a deal.DUP were *always* set up to be the ones thrown under the bus. May just..didn't.
(DIR) Post #9peg9g7x2QUnHjenMu by fitheach@mstdn.io
2019-12-05T12:50:20Z
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@cathal @tfb I'd agree with almost all of your points. However, it is still quite a turnaround to now suggest remaining in the EU.The Westminster arithmetic meant that BoJo couldn't have a majority, even with DUP support. Suddenly, the DUP were expendable, and BoJo could pursue a deal which might appeal more to the Brexiteers. In the end it didn't work for BoJo.I suspect the DUP anti-EU stance isn't playing well for #GE2019, and that has precipitated the change.
(DIR) Post #9pegKJdczaOsioXtjc by cathal@octodon.social
2019-12-05T12:52:16Z
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@fitheach @tfb It's worth standing back for a minute, and remembering that the DUP are remarkably stupid people. They're able to present a veneer of intelligence for a camera, which is a skill the Tories could learn from, but the DUP still make _bad calls_.And they were willing to support Brexit if it meant being _more distant from Ireland and closer to Britain_, which May promised (lol). They would do anything for that outcome.Instead, they got the opposite outcome-closer to Ireland. Hard no!
(DIR) Post #9pehHK54zPsXBFWTNg by fitheach@mstdn.io
2019-12-05T13:02:56Z
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@cathal > and remembering that the DUP are remarkably stupid people😃 @tfb