While the multi-millionaire children’s author JK Rowling was busy bankrolling the “No” campaign currently fighting Scotland’s independence referendum elsewhere on the island of Britain the governing Conservative Party in London was formulating plans to ally itself to the ultra-nationalists of the DUP. Despite the latter’s promulgation of British ethno-supremacism here in Ireland coupled with a wide range of Christian Right policies (opposition to abortion services, hostility to gay rights and marriage equality, the denial of climate change and the belief in bible-based history) there exists the very real possibility that after Britain’s next general election the party could be in coalition or alliance with a minority Tory government. From the Daily Mail:
“Senior Tories are secretly preparing the ground for a potential power-sharing deal with unionist MPs from Northern Ireland in the event of another hung parliament after next year’s general election.
If they again fall short of the 326 MPs needed for an outright win, senior Tories suggest the Democratic Unionist MPs from Northern Ireland could hold the balance of power.
Currently, the party has eight MPs, making it the fourth largest party in Westminster.
Senior Conservatives are now floating either a so-called ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement, which would mean guaranteeing support on votes of confidence in the Government and Budget measures, or a more formal power-sharing agreement with the DUP.
Last month, in a sign of the efforts being made behind the scenes, the Prime Minister hosted a lavish reception in the Downing Street garden DUP MPs.
The DUP is now said to be already drawing up its demands as the price of supporting the Conservatives in another hung Parliament after next year’s election…”
Given the record of the DUP the idea of the organisation being anywhere near the levers of power in Britain is something that should worry British Moslems, Roman Catholics, homosexuals, pregnant women, scientists and many others. Not to mention the teachers and historians who may find themselves having to give lessons in “Creationism” and “intelligent design”. Perhaps then the British in Britain might understand what the Irish living in the north-east of Ireland have had to put up with for the last several decades?
As for the Peace Process? Game over.
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
Game over?
Do you think that The Troubles will flare up again?
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The game is well and truly over for unionism in Ireland, no doubt about that.
A Tory-DUP coalition will merely be a catalyst, further fragmenting a deeply divided unionism and further strengthen the resolve of Irish Nationalists.
Nationalist majority by 2020 – and unionists could well dip below the 40% mark by 2030.
A Re-United ireland is inevitable.
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Good to hear that.
However I’m more concerned about the resumption of hostilities.
I don’t want to get blown up by some unionist nutjobs like in 1974.
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The Unionist nutjobs in 1974 were often serving or former British soldiers and paramilitary police officers. And their expertise, weapons, finance and direction came mostly from Unionist MPs or British government sources (the military, intelligence services, etc.). One would hope if there is a “next time” in terms of a renewed conflict it would be very different. One would hope…
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Breivik proved that you don’t need government assistance to pull off something like that.
All that’s needed is some free time and money.
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And access to weapons, ammunition, explosives (improvised or otherwise), detonators, timers, etc.
It is not as easy as people believe, otherwise it would probably be far more common than it is.
And British terrorists in Ireland have never exactly proven themselves to be the “heroic” type. Over 80% of all deaths caused by British terrorists were of civilians, invariably where quick access to and from the targets was available (and often with secure routes provided by the so-called British security forces).
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A DUP coalition with a British party to form a London government, or at least the DUP having a major input into one, would very likely bring down the power-sharing agreement. It would simply be too destabilising. An SF input to a Dublin government would also have an effect though probably less dramatic in the short-term.
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