David Thompson: Balkanising the British Isles with new borders was all the UK's nationalists were offering in Cardiff
As nationalists gathered in Cardiff in Monday to tell the world the United Kingdom is coming to an end, there was one topic of discussion conspicuous by its absence – and that’s all the borders they’re itching to erect.
Other than the symbolism of the country’s two nationalist first ministers and the nationalist half of a joint office sitting together at a table, there was little to remark on.
The Scottish National Party, Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru agreeing on the principle of national self determination for their respective countries is not news. Neither is all of them agreeing that their promised lands are just around the corner.
Even the formal deal between the Edinburgh and Cardiff administrations – from which Michelle O’Neill was locked out as she had no authority to speak for Northern Ireland – was devoid of meaningful content.
So what did the three parties actually commit to? Nothing of substance is the short answer.
Beyond agreeing that they’re all nationalists who believe – belatedly in the case of Sinn Fein – that breaking up the UK should be done through the ballot box, there were three areas they promised to work together on.
First, was “a stronger, fairer economy”. It’s unclear whether this will be built now, or in the promised land of independence. It is also unclear how they would do anything differently.
The economic prospectus the UK’s separatists could agree on was that they would share “ideas and experience on how to” improve the economy.
They “reject Whitehall’s broken economic model and will instead build economies which deliver social justice and reduce inequality across our nations”.
This sort of meaningless babble has become the political currency of nationalist movements who have aligned themselves with every worthy campaign group going – but have no idea how to run a country or build an economy.
Of course, Whitehall’s economic model is no different from that of the European Union – it’s called capitalism.
The entire EU operates under the same “neoliberal” rules these nationalist parties abhor. The United Kingdom hasn’t changed course since it left – and won’t.
Sinn Fein’s fantasy of a socialist Europe run by its hard-left allies in the European Parliament is never going to come to fruition, because people aren’t stupid enough to buy into it.
Republicans haven’t even been able to convince the Irish people to elect anything other than a centre-right government in the entire history of the 26 county state – let alone inspire a popular socialist uprising across 26 European nations.
Their second pledge on the issue of the day, the cost of energy, was even more meaningless. They’re going to ‘expand our own energy resources’ – but can’t even agree to say whether this should involve drilling for oil.
“The energy wealth of our nations should serve the needs of our people”, they said. It is unclear whether that should be done as a collective, or by Scotland keeping oil and leaving Northern Ireland and Wales to harvest the sun and the wind.
Where they really got down to business was in their vision for an England (whose nationalists weren’t invited) surrounded by ‘independent’ neighbours.
“We believe the future of our nations belong in the European Union”, the nationalists said.
Overlooking the fact that Wales backed Brexit, let’s pretend that its people have a massive change of heart, back independence and demand re-entry into the EU – and the Scots do too.
England is not going back, so that means borders. Borders of the kind the EU has insisted on at the English channel – and between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
Borders much more heavily regulated than the one imposed within the UK under the Windsor Framework.
Wales, a nation which has long complained it has been economically overlooked by Westminster, would then have the additional burden of customs checks on every crossing with England. Perhaps even a people border.
There would have to be a currency border too, as it’s doubtful Brussels would be letting any country in without joining the Euro.
Some Scottish nationalists fantasise that they’re not a British nation at all, and are really Nordic. That their natural allies are the Scandinavians. Good luck reorientating trade across the North Sea.
The very people who like to pretend borders don’t exist when it comes to illegal immigration, now want to criss-cross our islands with a series of new ones to divide our peoples and get one over on the English.
Why? Is this fantasy of nationhood so appealing that it’s worth cutting off your nose to spite your face? That’s exactly what this plan to Balkanise the British Isles would do.
Wiser nationalists than Sinn Fein have also queried the wisdom of hitching the cause of a “united Ireland” to separatist movements in Great Britain.
For now, they have done so for a political stunt they couldn’t pass up, no matter how many contradictions it exposed.
Contradictions like claiming the UK’s nations need to work more closely together, while claiming the best way to do that is to rip up the economic and political bonds which already unite them. And contradictions like opposing a border on the island of Ireland while supporting new ones with and between the nations of Great Britain.