The Good Friday deal deferred the issue of Irish unity to the future
Time was needed to heal old wounds. Then came Brexit
FOR IRISH nationalists, the border that has sliced through the island of Ireland since 1921 is a scar of British colonialism. For unionists, it delineates Northern Ireland’s distinct British identity. The two sides settled into an uneasy peace after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Then came Brexit, and an awkward fix in the form of the Northern Ireland protocol, designed to avoid inflaming the old dispute. Now some hope, and others fear, that it will strengthen the all-island economy and speed political reunification. The reality is more complicated—and more fraught.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “So close, so far”
Britain April 2nd 2022
From the April 2nd 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Britain
Britain’s family courts are opening up to reporters
Transparency and privacy can work together
Has the Royal Navy become too timid?
A new paper examines how its culture has changed
A plan to reorganise local government in England runs into opposition
Turkeys vote against Christmas
David Lammy’s plan to shake up Britain’s Foreign Office
Diplomats will be tasked with growing the economy and cutting migration
Britain’s government has spooked markets and riled businesses
Tax rises were inevitable. Such a shaky start was not
Labour’s credibility trap
Who can believe Rachel Reeves?