Is it time for Northern Ireland to be an independent state?

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Wednesday 13 October 2021 17:37 BST

‘A self-governing Northern Ireland could then have a three-choice referendum’ (Getty Images)

To my English mind, there seems a particularly simple solution to the predicament of Northern Ireland’s border issues. If the six counties were to become neither part of the UK, nor a united Ireland, then they could be an independent state governing themselves from Stormont.

With the US, or President Joe Biden’s, interest in seeing a peaceful island of Ireland and no breakdown of the Good Friday Agreement, political oversight by the Americans (or even a peacekeeping policing role) could help to prevent the return of sectarian violence.

This should be better received by the American public than the failed attempt to have a similar effect in Afghanistan and might even get the support of the British public.

Ultimately, a self-governing Northern Ireland could then have a three-choice referendum, after a stipulated period, to decide whether to remain separate (in or out of the EU), become part of a united Ireland (hence rejoining the EU) or remain with Britain in the UK and out of the EU. The borders, for both trade and travel, would then be much more clearly defined.

This approach could solve the “Irish Issue” for the Northern Irish, the EU, GB and the USA through a properly overseen democratic mandate, rather than the current, hugely illogical and destructive treaty between the UK and the EU.

It would eventually put Lord Frost out of a job and away from the news media – a very welcome byproduct.

Alistair Vincent

Chipping Barnet

Climate adaptation

The Environment Agency’s stark warning that we must “adapt or die” to climate change is the reality millions of the world’s poorest people have been facing for decades.

Across the globe, floods and droughts are destroying crops and homes, polluting water sources or drying them up completely.

The alarming news that these devastating impacts will reach our shores must be a rallying call to G20 leaders to deliver the money for adaption they have been promising for many years – and Boris Johnson must lead the charge. The success of Cop26 – and our very survival – depends on it.

Bernard Aryeetey

Global director of international affairs, WaterAid

Keeping promises

The prime minister is fond of quoting half-remembered Latin tags.

So here’s the fundamental principle of international law relating to treaties such as the Northern Ireland protocol: pacta sunt servanda – agreements must be kept.

Perhaps he could explain this to his non-classicist colleague Lord Frost.

Philip Goldenberg

Woking

Employees in the driving seat

Another month of increased employment, on the tail of the furlough scheme ending, demonstrates that the candidate-led environment that job seekers have been experiencing recently is showing no signs of abating. The support announced by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, last week will only serve to boost this.

This landscape is driving wage inflation, directly linked to demand. Companies are also making every effort to boost their employee value proposition in other areas, to stand out against their competition. This won’t go unappreciated by prospective employees: recent research from the Adecco Group revealed that over three-quarters (78 per cent) of employees agree that flexible working needs will be important following the pandemic, while 73 per cent want to see a greater emphasis placed on staff wellbeing.

So long as candidates remain in the driving seat, businesses will need to pull out all the stops to attract and retain the talent they so desperately need.

Alex Fleming

Regional president of northern Europe, Adecco

Climate goals

Laurels to The Independent for being a trustworthy source of climate knowledge and for hoisting the flag of a healthy planet. It is no secret that our natural world has gone over a cliff edge. Our unsustainable consumption of natural resources has caused climate chaos and placed endangered species at risk of extinction.

Moreover, the ailments we suffer as a result of climate change, heatwaves, polluted air and drinking water, floods and droughts, etc are increasing. Time to restore the harmony between nature, humanity and biodiversity.