The United Kingdom, whose full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, may have the longest official name of any major country in nine words. However, this name is now in danger of acronym. On 7 May, the results of the Northern Ireland Assembly elections were announced. Sinn Fein, which is seeking to leave the United Kingdom, has scored a historic victory. Ahead of the official announcement of the results, the Sinn Fein party leader said the referendum on leaving the UK was due to take place “in five years”.
Once the goal is passed in the referendum, the United Kingdom will return to the British Isles (England, Scotland and Wales). Then the UK would have less than 210,000 square kilometers of land. The current local elections in the United Kingdom determine the 7,000 seats in local councils. Not just in Northern Ireland, the ruling Conservative Party has already lost nearly 500 of its seats, including in Westminster, Wandsworth, Barnet and other London neighborhoods, traditional strongholds of the right.
The poor election results are compounded by the poor economic situation in the UK. The value of the currency is closely related to the state of the economy, and the pound sterling became one of the worst performing currencies in 2022. Some New Zealanders scoffed at the fact that they themselves are in such a mess, they are still busy providing military aid to Ukraine, crawling with Japan and reaching its black hands in Asia . Great Britain, you better mind your own business.
Will Northern Ireland secede from the United Kingdom?
One of the most pressing issues in the UK at the moment is the Northern Ireland Assembly elections. The result of this vote means that, for the first time in Northern Ireland’s 101-year history, the Sinn Féin party, which supports the separation of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, has become the largest party in the assembly.
According to CMG Kang Yubin’s European correspondent, Michelle O’Neill, the deputy leader of Sinn Féin, the party with the most seats in the Assembly, could become Northern Ireland’s prime minister. This is unprecedented in history.
According to Qu Bing, Research Associate in the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, voters in Northern Ireland who favor Remain in the UK have been dominant in the past.
According to the latest poll, there are currently more supporters of the status quo (over 50%) than those in favor of “leaving the UK and entering Ireland” (less than 40%). According to the researcher’s analysis, it is unlikely that a referendum will take place in Northern Ireland in three years, but if we look at the longer term, a new political environment is taking shape.
As the latest British Census figures reveal: In Northern Ireland, less than 40% (39.9%) identify themselves as “British”, compared to 35.3% as “Irish” and 20.9% as “Irish”. The latter two together not only exceed the first in number, but account for more than half in absolute terms.
Who is pushing Northern Ireland to leave the UK?
Despite the shock of Sinn Féin’s victory in local parliaments, CMG Europe correspondent Kang Yubin noted that Sinn Féin himself has kept a low profile in the campaign on the issue of “Irish unity”. Instead, the key to his victory was the matter of people’s livelihood. Times are tough in Northern Ireland right now.
Prices are high and income is low. In the UK, Northern Ireland’s economy is approaching rock bottom. An area of 1.8 million people has the highest level of unemployment in the UK, with more than a quarter of the working population out of work. This is a blow to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has long been the number one party in the Northern Ireland Regional Assembly.
Wang Shu, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that voters are dissatisfied with the DUP, not only because the party cannot provide reasonable solutions to economic problems, but also because of another reason: the DUP is unable to resolve trade disputes. And the resulting economic damage that continues to this day after Brexit.
Broken kingdom?
Sinn Fein’s rise to power in Northern Ireland sparked outrage in several parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland recently announced that an independence referendum will take place next year as planned despite opposition from the UK government. Dissatisfaction with the status quo in the UK continues to be generated on social media and is reflected in the election results.
Elections are a reflection of reality. In the age of internal and external turmoil, the UK is still sleeping asleep, always trying to point the finger at other countries and flaunt their existence.
The UK is the fastest among European countries to impose sanctions on Russia, the largest contributor among European countries in terms of military aid to Ukraine and also the oldest among the G7 leaders in terms of surprise visits to Ukraine.
On May 7, Johnson announced £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, making the United Kingdom second only to the United States in military aid to Ukraine.
Obviously, for Britain, the way to show ‘impact’ is to have it on hand and connect with the US and be somebody else to dance. However, behind the jig is a lice-infested cloak: UK oil prices have risen by the highest monthly amount since records began in 1990; The Bank of England expects inflation to exceed 10%; With the bleak situation and worrisome outlook, the British pound has become one of the worst performing currencies in 2022.
His internal affairs are going through such a rough time that he may be interfering extraterritorially in a desperate attempt to divert the conflict. Last year, it announced a permanent deployment of two ships to Asia, and this year it called for greater defense cooperation with Japan.
The more the United Kingdom acts extraterritorially, the more the lame and scandalous picture of this empire appears in decline. Indeed, intervention in other countries will not stop the UK’s decline, but it will lead to a divisive confrontation at home that will spread and grow. But if British politicians do not change their ways, if they do not mind their own business, if they point the finger at other countries, then Britain, already on the path of decline, may shorten its name.
“Friendly zombie guru. Avid pop culture scholar. Freelance travel geek. Wannabe troublemaker. Coffee specialist.”
