Minister for the Union

[nivilla1982]

Since the PM had decided to create the title of "Minister for the Union" as a sign of commitment to strengthening the ties between the fours parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What form will these ideas take?
One report has suggested

The cultural ideas including putting Test cricket back on terrestrial TV and making Remembrance Day a bank holiday.

Other ideas include allowing regions to levy a tourist tax that would be ring-fenced for local investment.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...f-ways-to-prevent-breakup-of-uk-38372840.html
https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Modernising-the-UK.pdf

 

[capfits]

Suspect the "Minister of the Union" could be pushing water up a hill with a rather divisive Prime minister in charge.
But hey ho or should that be tally ho chaps, what about tax breaks for all members of Morris dancing groups, Pipe bands, male voice choirs and flute bands for starters?
How about no VAT on Union jack bunting bought prior to Halloween?
National themed weeks for when the rationing starts
Jellyed eels for the plebs, roast beef for the well to do. Haggis neeps and tatties another week, colcannon and laverbred every second Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
Telly could be repeats Mary Poppins, Brigadoon, the Crying Game, and How green was my valley.
For leisure we could paint kerbs stones and support a united kingdom football team.
Aye right...

 

[Danllan]

Lots of things... how much can I spend? First, I'd pay for school exchanges around the Union and I'd increase the number of University and College scholarships, centrally funded and awarded, across the UK allowing people to study in any part of the Union they choose outside of their home-country, tuition, home-study travel and reasonable living costs paid in full. Let me know the money going and I'll reel off a list.


Tourism tax...! Possibly the single most stupid form of levy imaginable*; penalise the people you want to come to your area to spend money... can you see where it falls down?



*It shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with the bunch of third-rate prigs and idiots, but the WAG is considering a tourism tax for Wales...

 

[nivilla1982]

From the linked report
The UK Government should examine the business case for a toll-free road bridge between the Island of Ireland and Great Britain
• The UK Government should announce a review of transport connections between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, focusing on air travel, sea travel and the capacity of road networks around airports and seaports • Extending the motorway network in Northern Ireland westwards and to the north coast

 

[Boohoo]

From the linked report
The UK Government should examine the business case for a toll-free road bridge between the Island of Ireland and Great Britain
• The UK Government should announce a review of transport connections between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, focusing on air travel, sea travel and the capacity of road networks around airports and seaports • Extending the motorway network in Northern Ireland westwards and to the north coast

So basically just what was planned in the 1960s before the need for additional security put everything on hold.

 

[nivilla1982]

So basically just what was planned in the 1960s before the need for additional security put everything on hold.

Looks that way apart from the bridge.

 

[Highland Mule]

Lots of things... how much can I spend? First, I'd pay for school exchanges around the Union and I'd increase the number of University and College scholarships, centrally funded and awarded, across the UK allowing people to study in any part of the Union they choose outside of their home-country, tuition, home-study travel and reasonable living costs paid in full.

Like this a lot. I’ve worked in England and briefly in Wales, and am awar ethat even so I have an ignorance of huge parts of the country, as do many on here. A proper exchange programme would help a lot. I can think of quite a few posters on here that would benefit from a visit to Scotland, and I know I would like to see SW Wales (but I’d need you talk in english for the duration, if that’s okay!)

 

[Ncap]

Interesting that official cabinet office info pack is now proposing the creation of Common Frameworks to - wait for it - 'make it simple for businesses from different parts of the UK to trade with each other by enabling a functioning UK internal market'. Forward-looking, eh? A bit like a sort of...I don't know, but does it remind you of something we have at the moment on a much larger scale? (And, by the way, this was presented to those present with a straight face)

 

[arcobob]

I have traveled to many parts of the world though I prefer temperate climates. My most memorable experiences have been in Canada, New Zealand and the USA but having said that the UK has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

 

[Danllan]

Like this a lot. I’ve worked in England and briefly in Wales, and am awar ethat even so I have an ignorance of huge parts of the country, as do many on here. A proper exchange programme would help a lot. I can think of quite a few posters on here that would benefit from a visit to Scotland, and I know I would like to see SW Wales (but I’d need you talk in english for the duration, if that’s okay!)

We are a multi-lingual house, but my Welsh is dire - I was brought up in Herts and could speak it well enough until my Mamgu died, when I was about six, after that I only got it sparingly from my father or on visits to family over here. I can follow a conversation but it's embarrassing to have to speak at 0mph and still pause to think of the word for... whatever, most recently 'duck'. Also the kids are all fluent and take great pleasure in correcting me at every opportunity... so English is fine.

 

[Boohoo]

Looks that way apart from the bridge.

It's been talked about before too. I can't see the need for it, the money would be better spent elsewhere.

 

[Danllan]

@nivilla1982 You've not yet mentioned £s, but for me the BEST thing any UK gov't could do - education apart - would be to have a nationally owned and privately run ferry business that gave entirely free at the point of use crossings to all UK registered private and commercial transport between NI and Great Britain, and all international private vehicles. With ferries sailing to Scotland, Wales and England it would boost NI no end and the ports on the mainland too. Would probably be very popular with people from the ROI too and maybe free up commercial capacity on the routes to the ROI - or it might see business move from them.

 

[Highland Mule]

@nivilla1982 You've not yet mentioned £s, but for me the BEST thing any UK gov't could do - education apart - would be to have a nationally owned and privately run ferry business that gave entirely free at the point of use crossings to all UK registered private and commercial transport between NI and Great Britain, and all international private vehicles. With ferries sailing to Scotland, Wales and England it would boost NI no end and the ports on the mainland too. Would probably be very popular with people from the ROI too and maybe free up commercial capacity on the routes to the ROI - or it might see business move from them.

There’s an awful lot of water gaps that would be ahead of NI, IMHO. They have all services there already and don’t need lifeline trips for hospitals, shopping etc. What about Orkney (£300++ a flight per person), Shetland (£?), Lewis/ Harris, Wight, ....

 

[Danllan]

There’s an awful lot of water gaps that would be ahead of NI, IMHO. They have all services there already and don’t need lifeline trips for hospitals, shopping etc. What about Orkney (£300++ a flight per person), Shetland (£?), Lewis/ Harris, Wight, ....

I'll not say no to any, but... for the obvious constitutional reason NI gets first dibs.

 

[Highland Mule]

I'll not say no to any, but... for the obvious constitutional reason NI gets first dibs.

They need it more in the peripheries, I’d argue. But let’s not start a war over that.

 

[Danllan]

They need it more in the peripheries, I’d argue. But let’s not start a war over that.

No, let's not. But I think the political aspects trump all else in this; that written this is and should be a United Kingdom and, as such, all should have unhindered access to all of it. I've no problem with some of my taxes ensuring this to be so.

 

[Muck Spreader]

One thinks of stable doors and shutting with this proposal.

 

[Highland Mule]

One thinks of stable doors and shutting with this proposal.

Agreed. Didn't 60-odd percent of the Conservative and Unionist party members state that leaving the EU was more important to them than preserving the union? Slightly more ironic than those claiming a Liberal Democrat MP who votes against the non binding Brexit referendum result is undemocratic...

 

[The Agrarian]

Smashing ideas chaps. I'm all for it. With the blurring of the border in recent years, we've watched our services allowed to be taken apart little by little and shipped down the new road to Dublin. What I'd like to see is proposals that develops northern Ireland and access to the mainland in such a way that traffic turns and flows the other way toward Belfast, for just those reasons - to make Belfast the place for northern half Southerners to come to for services, business and transport to northern half of the mainland. If Brexit has to happen, then it should be one that pulls the republic of Ireland towards us, not one that pushes Northern Ireland away.

 

[nivilla1982]

@nivilla1982 You've not yet mentioned £s, but for me the BEST thing any UK gov't could do - education apart - would be to have a nationally owned and privately run ferry business that gave entirely free at the point of use crossings to all UK registered private and commercial transport between NI and Great Britain, and all international private vehicles. With ferries sailing to Scotland, Wales and England it would boost NI no end and the ports on the mainland too. Would probably be very popular with people from the ROI too and maybe free up commercial capacity on the routes to the ROI - or it might see business move from them.

One of the more disappointing things following the 2017 General Election was the appalling lack of information/understanding from some mainland commentators and others about NI etc when it emerged that the Conservatives needed the DUP to form a government.
Money is obviously needed in NI to redress the effects of a 30 year terrorist campaign that obviously limited or damaged infrastructure but money has to be spent wisely.
@The Agrarian is undoubtedly correct in his comments.
I often thought that Belfast does not need two airports, the city airport given its location has a limit to its capacity while Aldergrove has plenty of scope for future development , therefore the focus should be on developing Aldergrove to the maximum and attempting to reverse/at least compete with the dominance of Dublin Airport for the northern portion of the island, obviously a rail link to the International airport would help.
Restoring the railway network to the west of the province is often mentioned but how practical would be it to resurrect it? Eg in Omagh the old line and station are covered by developments and the bypass etc.