I reckoned that the international break was an opportune moment for me to disappear down the word mines.
Sometimes I’m best left to my own plot devices.
I tried, as best I could, to blot out the world and concentrate on the one I had originally created for The Squad.
The sequel will be published next summer.
Of course, the challenge with writing a political thriller is to make it believable.
Over the last two weeks, the events around me would be, in many ways, too bizarre for any work of fiction.
The Brexit shambles continues, even as I write these words.
Journalists close to the action say that a deal has been done but apparently the DUP are not on board.
Let’s just say that whatever happens the Brexit flying circus will poison British politics for a generation.
During the 2016 referendum campaign, the position of Northern Ireland was hardly mentioned.
Those of us who live here knew that it would be a circle that the Brits would struggle to square.
Brexit put Partition back on the agenda.
A century ago this week the British Government set about partitioning this island.
On October 15th, 1919 a committee under the chairmanship of a member of the cabinet, Walter Long, met for the first time to draft a home rule bill, the fourth home rule bill, which became known as the Government of Ireland Act 1920 in its final form.
It was this law that would partition the island.
Walter Hume Long was an enthusiastic advocate of hiring ex-Brutish soldiers to augment the depleting ranks of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC).
History remembers these fine fellows as the “Black and Tans”.
A few miles from where these words blink to life the Partition line is still there.
However, since 1998 all of the people on this island agreed to kind of ignore it.
That seemed to be working quite well until the big red Brexit bus rolled into town complete with lies written on the side of it.
Ultimately the only answer to the partition on this island is to get rid of it.
However, the most troubling intrusion into this writer’s private world was the events in Catalonia.
The prison sentences handed down to political leaders were serious on every level.
It is a well-rehearsed mantra that politics and sport should not mix.
That might be quite generally good advice for normal times.
For the avoidance of doubt, these are not normal times.
Pep Guardiola isn’t just an accomplished exponent of the beautiful game.
He is also an important authoritative voice and should be listened to on this issue.
The brutality of the Spanish state both on the streets and in the courtrooms presents a huge challenge to the power brokers in Brussels.
Moreover, the electoral rise of Vox in Andalucía is especially worrying.
Despite all of that on the horizon the focus and energy of the leaders of the European Union have been taken up with the paranoid concerns of people in the northeast of this country who think that the planet is only several thousand years old.
Now, that would be simply unbelievable in a novel.
See my problem?
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Thanks for posting my most recent nonsense Phil…thought that I had joined Terencenova on the naughty-step for a while. Hail Hail
Juncker has just said that there will be no further extension.
There isn’t time to do a new deal so I must be missing something, because it looks like if parliament rejects the deal, the UK is out with no deal.
The DUP should add the letter ”E” to their title ! Clearly Boris Johnson has played them for all they are worth and , when push came to shove , he shoved them off his big red bus !
No old Etonian like Johnson ever gave a f*ck about the DUP or any other entity that was connected to N.I They were a distraction and now a convenient scapegoat for his failing to achieve Brexit on Saturday – or when , more likely , he is forced to accept a confirmatory referendum on his deal . He will blame the DUP , the SNP , the Labour party and Screaming Lord Sutch for failing to back him . No One counts except Boris !
When will these plebs ever learn !!
James, in my humble opinion ‘Screaming Lord Sutch’ is by far THE most sensible person that you mentioned in your list of reprobates. Fair play to you. Hail Hail
The DUP. DONE UP PROPER . By bumbling Boris thrown right under the bus not before time .
So the DUP look like they have spat their big dummy out their big mouth . These people (Foster & Co ) are a complete joke . SELFISH does not even describe how they want things their way or no way. I hate to see that woman Fosters face on TV or in the newspaper if ever a woman has a bad look about her she is it. As my auld maw would say she has a face like a nippy sweetie or her face could turn milk sour. Also over 600 MPs at Westminster and you have 10 nobody’s from the DUP holding them all to ransom . Well not anymore.
No one gives a shit about the ‘Word Mines’ or your novels to be quite truthful and frank.
My publisher and several bookshop chains would respectfully disagree…
However, thanks for taking the time to comment.
I commend your ability to read and conclude on 493 page court judgement in such a short space of time. And in Spanish as well!
What an asshole!
Yer club’s deid mate, beat it!
Brian, you are wasting your time attempting to reason with a Hun. For the most part, these dolts are immune to reasonable argument, as the majority of them have an IQ level lower than their age…why else would they ‘support’ an entity that miraculously rose from the ashes of a deid club.
You would be more successful attempting to teach physics Quantum Theory to a room full of Jack Russell terriers. Hail Hail
Lol at mad Malus Phil certainly has your attention it was nice of you to pop in . NOT .
Or his blog either? That’ll be why YOU’RE reading it. Ya brain-dead fuckwit!!
as your name implies malus a small shrub with Jaffa origins read the news today scotlands shame blame it on the old club thought you were the same disgrace bbc contacted sevco 3 times hmmm need to read an old copy of the rangers news SCOTLANDS SHAME I SAY HH
Easy there Arlene !
Put the heating on (it’s an earner remember!) and have a stiff drink..,
You’ve got bigger things to worry about!
Pat, you’re not ripping the pish out of the Fermanagh Stunner are you? If so, have a care there my good man. Hail Hail
The DUP are in a perilous position right now and they know it. There is a general election on the way, it’s going to be straight down the middle vote for remainers Vrs Brexiteers with nothing inbetwee. Should any party gain a commanding position with a majority government then the DUP are FUCKED. Labour won’t give the DUP a second thought or neither will the Tories, they have definitely had their fill of the DUP now. And its about time as the DUP do not speak for the people of the north of Ireland LITERALLY as the people of the north of Ireland voted to remain in the EU, while the DUP are hanging on to the UK like a 14 year old little girl trying to hold on to the boy she thinks she is madly in love with.
The whole point of the GFA was for all parties representing the people of all backgrounds to govern themselves. Bring in investment to the north of Ireland themselves, make friends all over the world, bring in tourism ect. The DUP have failed at every aspect of that, they have spent 20 years arguing and bickering at the smallest stupidest little things. They are still reeling from the hard shock of not having mammys hand holding them all the time. They dream of the day when they walked around the north of Ireland feeling that they were better than Catholics. They prided themselves on looking down at them. Of course they never earned that right. It was that little fat boy at school who was always cheeky to fellow classmates but ran from every fight that he caused as he couldn’t take a handle it. then became the headmasters little pet for being a grass. Always relaying on the big headmaster to sort out the trouble he made.
Now the DUP see this slipping away. If they were not propping up the Tories the Brexit deal would have been done long ago and the DUP would have to like it lump it. A majority government in Britain in the next election will be a new chapter in the north of Ireland.
Do you think the Tories were mis-sold D.U.P.P.I.?
Nice one Charger. They are totally f**ked as they missed the claim deadline. Hail Hail
Aye. After paying a £1bn premium as well.
Thought for today.
: It costs more for NI to be within the UK than for the UK to be in the EU!
Terry Joe
Well said Phil,
Of course,it’d make way too much sense to correctly re-unite the Whole of the 32 counties of Eire🍀
And that simply wouldn’t do,would it? TAL🇮🇪
I’m so sick of Brexshit and cannot wait to see the back of it,but again,like you say;it’s repercussions will endure and we shall All feel them,unlike the tories in their well insulated cabals.
I doubt the “Spanish state” have done anything relating to Catalunya in recentl years, brutal or otherwise, that meets the genuine disapproval of the power brokers in Brussels. Their ‘we don’t get involved in individual nation’s matters’ only seems to be the case when its regional administrators are submissive. Extremely vocal and very keen to affect matters when it comes Poland or Hungary’s policies. Less so when Guardia Civil are beating the living crap out of people on the streets of Spain.
The EU showed how much compassion they have for it’s Citizens when the stuck their Jack boot on the neck of Greece during its moment of genuine need.
All they are interested in is money and power.
Hence why over 10,000 within its massively bloated structure are paid more than our very own wavy haired halfwit BJ.
We won’t be the last to leave this charade btw but we will be the first.
Then we can turn our optics on the Charlatans at Westminster who post Brexit will have nowhere to hide and no one else to blame.
We might even get to hold them to account!
Change is never easy but if we have any way of escaping the grasp of Neoliberalism within the EU then Brexit was and is a necessity.
It is happening and the sooner folk get their head round that concept the better.
Start buying British produce and start backing our own Economy.
I know history will be kinder to those of us who voted to take FULL control back of our own affairs.
The EU is a doomed project it is only a matter of time before other Nations follow our example and reject it and what it is really about.
No pain no gain.
As for the Border issue in Ireland it has been my opinion since the day we Voted Brexit that this act will force a vote on the reunification of that Island.
Will it be viewed as shambles by the likes of Phil if this transpires?Or as I suspect will it be viewed as a godsend bringing an end to Centuries of Colonial reign by Westminster?
I sincerely hope that this is the case as it will save the UK tax payers approximately £10Bn a year in losses holding onto it.
See everyone is a winner.
No need to say thanks 😘