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Bad-faith commentators are pretending that #BrexitRiots in Northern Ireland couldn't have been predicted
Here's a thread giving CREDIT to those who raised concerns before the EU referendum & DISCREDIT to those who dismissed these legitimate concerns with "project fear" rhetoric
Here's a thread giving CREDIT to those who raised concerns before the EU referendum & DISCREDIT to those who dismissed these legitimate concerns with "project fear" rhetoric
CREDIT: @FrancesOGrady (General Secretary of the TUC) who spoke about the potential threat to the Irish Peace Process a week before the vote https://twitter.com/FrancesOGrady/status/743146146932133888
DISCREDIT: Nigel Farage. Need I say more?
CREDIT: @kathryn_gaw who very clearly identified the potential problems in a Guardian column on June 21st 2016.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/21/northern-ireland-fear-brexit-conflict-good-friday-agreement-eu
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/21/northern-ireland-fear-brexit-conflict-good-friday-agreement-eu
DISCREDIT: Nigel Dodds of the DUP who dismissed concerns about Brexit potentially stoking violence in Northern Ireland as a "cynical ploy" in June 2016.
CREDIT: I'm no huge political fanboy of either Tony Blair or John Major, but despite their many other screw-ups, the Irish Peace Process serves as their positive legacy
They both warned Brexit could potentially destabilise Northern Ireland in June 2016 https://www.ft.com/content/30dabf70-2f1c-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc
They both warned Brexit could potentially destabilise Northern Ireland in June 2016 https://www.ft.com/content/30dabf70-2f1c-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc
DISCREDIT: Tory Northern Ireland Secretary at the time Theresa Villiers, who arrogantly dismissed concerns over the Irish border issue as "scaremongering" in April 2016 https://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/04/18/news/irish-border-concerns-over-brexit-scaremongering-theresa-villiers-489126/
CREDIT: Again, I'm no huge fan of Bill Clinton, but credit where credit's due, he helped facilitate the Peace process in the '90s, and he warned that Brexit could destabilise Northern Ireland in June 2016, just before the vote. https://www.irishpost.com/business/bill-clinton-warns-brexit-north-irelands-sake-85209
DISCREDIT: Arlene Foster of the DUP, who casually dismissed fears that Brexit would undermine the Good Friday Agreement on the Andrew Marr show, in May 2016. https://www.irishnews.com/news/politicalnews/2016/05/16/news/arlene-foster-s-brexit-comments-irresponsible-opponents-blast-520924/
CREDIT: Former Tory MEP Brendan Donnelly who warned that Brexit could profoundly destabilise Northern Ireland by stoking sectarian tensions. April 2016. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2016/04/28/troubles-redux-brexit-would-put-the-good-friday-agreement-in-jeopardy/
DISCREDIT: Former General Secretary of UKIP Jonathan Arnott, who was another Brexiteer who resorted to dismissing legitimate concerns about Brexit's impact on the Irish Peace Process as "scaremongering".
Now we're witnessing scenes like this
Now we're witnessing scenes like this
CREDIT: @AlMcDonnellSB of the SDLP who raised the Irish border issue at PMQs, the week before the Brexit vote
Cameron's answer is actually good, but he gets no credit because he's the wanker who called the Brexit referendum without any contingency plan in case he lost his gamble
Cameron's answer is actually good, but he gets no credit because he's the wanker who called the Brexit referendum without any contingency plan in case he lost his gamble
DISCREDIT: Former Tory MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson, who was yet another to use the term "scaremongering" to dismiss concerns about Brexit and the Irish Peace Process.
He's also a thoroughly nasty piece of work. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ex-tory-mp-and-brexit-adviser-stewart-jackson-calls-stepdad-of-sick-child-a-pathetic-cretin-on-twitter_uk_5bce4fb7e4b0a8f17eef84f4
He's also a thoroughly nasty piece of work. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ex-tory-mp-and-brexit-adviser-stewart-jackson-calls-stepdad-of-sick-child-a-pathetic-cretin-on-twitter_uk_5bce4fb7e4b0a8f17eef84f4
CREDIT: The Wall Street Journal ( @WSJ) which ran this piece 3 days before the Brexit vote.
It's noteworthy that much of the incisive journalism about Brexit/Northern Ireland was in non-UK press (especially Ireland & US) while British coverage was dismal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/northern-ireland-teeters-on-brexit-front-line-1466428744?mod=e2tw
It's noteworthy that much of the incisive journalism about Brexit/Northern Ireland was in non-UK press (especially Ireland & US) while British coverage was dismal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/northern-ireland-teeters-on-brexit-front-line-1466428744?mod=e2tw
DISCREDIT: The official Vote Leave campaign hastily scoured their website, and deleted their social media accounts soon after the referendum.
At the time numerous Vote leave figures derided legitimate concerns over the Irish border and Irish Peace Process as "project fear"
At the time numerous Vote leave figures derided legitimate concerns over the Irish border and Irish Peace Process as "project fear"
CREDIT: Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who beseeched people in Great Britain to at least consider Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Irish border, and the implications for Peace Process before voting in the EU referendum. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/20/ireland-fearful-neighbour-leaving-eu-northern-ireland?CMP=share_btn_tw
DISCREDIT: Boris Johnson, who promised that leaving the EU would leave the Irish border "absolutely unchanged" in February 2016, then in 2019 hastily scrawled a border down the Irish Sea in order to ram through his shambolic bodge job of a Brexit deal. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-35692452
CREDIT: @clionamccarney
One thing that really didn't happen during the referendum debate was listening to ordinary Northern Irish people.
The people there majority opposed Brexit, but few in England could be bothered to understand why https://twitter.com/clionamccarney/status/742473238408769536
One thing that really didn't happen during the referendum debate was listening to ordinary Northern Irish people.
The people there majority opposed Brexit, but few in England could be bothered to understand why https://twitter.com/clionamccarney/status/742473238408769536
DISCREDIT: Kate Hoey. Just mind-boggling complacency.
Also discredit to the Telegraph for publishing her absolute drivel.
Also discredit to the Telegraph for publishing her absolute drivel.
CREDIT: British media coverage of the Brexit implications for the Irish Peace Process was utterly inadequate, however there were a few positive exceptions.
This from @MishalHusain & @BBCr4today, in May 2016, was about as good as it got. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36392112
This from @MishalHusain & @BBCr4today, in May 2016, was about as good as it got. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36392112
In researching this thread, the most shocking thing I found was the pathetically inadequate amount of attention people were paying on social media.
Only a few dozen Tweets mentioning both "Northern Ireland" & "Brexit" between Jan 1 & Jun 23 2016.
Because hardly anyone cared.
Only a few dozen Tweets mentioning both "Northern Ireland" & "Brexit" between Jan 1 & Jun 23 2016.
Because hardly anyone cared.
