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Hundreds gathered in Belfast today to oppose Brexit and Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament.
Organised by the People’s Vote campaign, which has been calling for a second referendum on EU membership, the meeting in the Ulster Hall heard from various speakers the damaging consequences of Brexit.
Northern Ireland, set to be worst-hit by Brexit, has been at the centre of negotiations as the UK and the EU have clashed over the border and the backstop.
Hundreds of people turned out at the end of a dramatic week in the UK, where the highest civil court in Scotland had found that Johnson had misled the queen over his reasons for suspending parliament and the prime minister failed – for the second time – to persuade parliament to back an early election.
Speakers at the event today include Tory rebel Dominic Grieve and former Labour communications chief Alastair Campbell, who has been an ardent campaigner against Brexit.
The SDLP’s Claire Hanna and Green Party leader Claire Bailey also addressed the Ulster Hall.
Alliance Party leader and MEP Naomi Long, who also spoke today, warned that Brexit would be “catatstrophic” for Northern Ireland.
“My message as MEP has been that the UK is now in serious political crisis. That Johnson’s objective is to blame the UK parliament and the EU. Don’t be part of his plan. Give us the extension. Hold the prime minister’s feet to the fire and make him negotiate,” she told the crowd.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Hanna, whose party has opposed Brexit, said that it is “profoundly undemocratic to attempt to force a wretched no deal on the people without their democratic consent”.
“We’ve had enough of blood red lines in Northern Ireland,” Hanna said today.
Grieve, who had the Tory whip withdrawn for voting against the government on Brexit, told the audience that the DUP were making a mistake by tying themselves to the Conservatives.
The People’s Vote campaign will organise another rally on London on 19 October, days before the UK is currently scheduled to leave the EU.
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He’s been Tangoed.
@Mick McGuinness: For all the worry about Trump’s appointees being in his pocket, the Supreme Court judges seem to be immune to his shenanigans.
This is not the first time they have ruled against him.
I wonder what the security measures are for a Supreme Court Justice? Given how many times they have ruled against Trump’s lawyers, or refused to hear their case, hard core Trump/MAGA supporters must be inclined to take a dim view of the SCOTUS members.
@David A. Murray: If anyone were to murder any member of SCOTUS at the monent, Biden would be appointing their replacement. You’d have to be pretty stu… to do it, if you’re a MAGA bot. Ah. Right. Yeah. Point taken
@Felicity Rawson: Given the GOP’s tactics under Obama and Trump, I wouldn’t be confident Biden would be ‘allowed’ to select any SCOTUS replacement.
@David A. Murray: Democrats have control of the house and senate (at the moment), the GOP would be powerless to stop an appointment
@Colm O’ Shea: Tell that to Manchin and Sinema…..
@Tricia G: just playing devils advocate, those two are not elected to represent the DEMs, they are voted to represent the people of their districts (which are red/purple). Do their constituents want the same thing as the wider DEM party?
They are stuck in a position where they cant be seen as too liberal as it will alienate their voters and they’ll do themselves out of a job.
@Colm O’ Shea: While that’s technically true, the GOP are (almost entirely) completely shameless in leveraging whatever ‘process’ they can dig up to block how things are supposed to work in Congress, until they then do a complete flip when the timing is right. Rick Wilson recently described Congressional politics in these terms: “The Democrats are playing chess. The GOP are responding by simply eating the playing pieces.”
@David A. Murray: love the quote!! Absolutely agree, Dems are playing by the rules and GOP are trying to change the rules to suit themselves. What shocks me is that the electorate is so entrenched that no one seems to see what they are doing and how it conflicts with their morals.
Would be interested to find out what % of the GOP politicians actually believe what they are saying and what % are taking making cynical calculations
Thought this was a Stephen Hawking article based on the pic!
@Nameo Maximus: why? Cos you’re blind?
@Nameo Maximus: lol, I see the similarity
@alan scott: what similarity? Hawkins was a leading intellect with spasticity, Trump was just a sp- (fill in for yourself)
@James Kerins: Can spot a stable genius a mile away
@Colm O’ Shea: it’s called having a sense of humour. Hawking was a intellect for sure. We are just saying that facial expression looks looked hawkings. Read what I actually said.
It seems you just go though the comments each day to look for a argument and by chance you strolled on mine.
Sorry to burst your bubble pal, but I have way more important things to do then get into a argument. Byeeee
@alan scott: as was mine a joke, not trolling but bye. Toodle pip
Maybe the BOZO LIER MURDERER TRUMP WILL BE IN JAIL SOON
have your say