The old Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times" has been rattling around in my brain all week.
Things are about to get "intersting" for the UK as Scotland looks almost certain to leave the UK so they can remain in the EU.
Things just got very 'interesting' for the Republic of Ireland - 37% of Irish exports are to the UK. In the short-term the collapse of Sterling is hitting Irish businesses hard, but that's nothing to the prospect of tarrifs on Irish goods being sold into the UK!
But all that pales in comparison to how "intesting" things are about to get in Northern Ireland. There has been relatice peace for the last two decades, but, the underlying tensions are not gone. The fact that the border between the north and the republic has been an open border since the Good Friday agreement has meant that while the island remains politically partitioned, it has not been practically partitioned. Free travel and free trade between all parts of the island have helped keep things on an even kiel.
The UK's only land-border is about to become the UK's only land border with the EU. I can't see how that can remain an open border now. The thought of the return of border checkpoints is horrifying. It will ratchet tensions right up. It will take some heroic work by the British and Irish governments to avoid a slide back into chaos and violence. They may succeed, but one thing is for sure, things are about to get very 'intersting' on this little island.
B.