| Bofferbrauer2 said: That's patently wrong. In fact, quite the reverse. They are forced to call a poll when nationalist parties win an election (start at 2:00 in the video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIJzc0FiVHA
Looks like it was pretty prophetic, half a year later. And as you can see in the Video, Nationalist parties are closing the gap fast. In fact, the 2017 election is the first one where Unionist parties total dropped below 50% Even formerly staunch unionists are now thinking about leaving the UK and becoming part of Ireland:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBtuwSixYoE
If Nationalist parties win the next election in Northern Ireland, then they have no choice but call a poll, as they are obliged to by the Good Friday Agreement. The next election is in less than 2 months (May 2nd, same as in England), and I don't think the DUP will be able to win that one considering the voters seem to move away from them. |
The material you posted is irrelevant at hand ...
Ireland will most likely cave into the EU's demands and will pull out of the agreement as accordingly before any poll is even called. Also it's unlikely that the nationalists will come out on top as the unionists won the total share of votes by a 7% point margin during the last general election so what do you think 2 years will buy you ?
Also, if you truly thought that the DUP voters were on the fence before they most likely wouldn't contemplate voting for Sinn Fein or even the SDLP. It's far more likely that they'd go back to the UUP or possibly vote non-sectarian parties like Alliance but the reason why DUP exists is because is because the voters thought that the UUP didn't have a strong enough resolution so when they voted for the DUP they were not looking to settle Brexit and are intending to settle Northern Ireland's status of sovereignty immediately. You'll be be disappointed to find out that there aren't many moderates within the DUP ...
If the DUP and the other unionists can hold out for for a couple of more years then they'll have inevitably won since then even after if they become the minority later on. Either the EU gives into the demands of the UK or they can kiss goodbye to the idea of a united Ireland. The UK is not stipulated in the GFA to align with either the EU or Ireland in terms of customs policy so they do not intend to make conditions simple for reunification. The ball is either in the EU or in Ireland's court to see a united Ireland ...
