So, as there's now (in theory) going to be a delay........

Panavision

This has already been addressed by other posters. Three months allows for detailed debate/scrutiny and space for a GE/referendum if that is what decided upon as it is being amended. We can always leave earlier if we get everything buttoned up before 31 January.

Pacifico

So you dont want 3 months to scrutinize the deal, you want 3 months to change it into something else.   

Panavision

It's divergence subject to the consent of NI in compliance with the GFA.

Why is democratic consent in compliance with the GFA not good enough?

EarthRod

I can only assume he is against devolved government too?

Divergence is bad apparently. Having local and accountable government making decisions that may diverge must also be bad. So let's abolish the Scottish parliament, the Welsh assembly and the NI assembly and run everything from Westminster.

kav

NI is part of the United Kingdom. The question is, why aren't the DUP happy about it?

I'm going by Johnson's surrender by putting the border in the Irish Sea, something he was dead against. And if you go by principals of devolved government, then Scotland should be afforded some concessions.

Am I? I like devolved governments, but the principals should apply to all of them. If Scotland voted to remain, then surely the government should give them some concessions?

Wales voted to leave, so no problems there.

But the DUP haven't supported it. They want alignment with the rest of the UK as per May's deal, which the EU didn't particularly like or members of Westminister.

kav

Who cares. The GFA requires cross community support. It isn't just about what the DUP want.

Why should Scotland get any special concessions?

There is no GFA equivalent that would require the UK government to make any specific arrangements for them.

Scotland voted in a free and fair referendum to remain part of the UK and subject to UK wide decisions.

Just as NI voted to have the GFA with the included requirement for cross community assent.

Scotland voted to remain in the UK, the UK voted to leave.

It isn't up to the DUP. Giving them control of alignment for NI would be a breach of the GFA. From what you keep saying, it sounds like you don't like the GFA?

The deal Boris got has issues, but it is a reasonable compromise that protects the gfa. Not so long ago people on your side were using the GFA as a crutch to support your argument to remain. But as soon as we have a leave deal that respects it, then it seems that you no longer think it's important that we protect what it was about.

Panavision

This is what I read:

"The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) provision on the birth right in NI to choose to be Irish or British or both, contains the following commitment: the people of Northern Ireland who are Irish citizens will continue to enjoy rights as EU citizens, including where they reside in Northern Ireland."

Seems pretty clear to me.

Paradiso

To the "it's 95% the same so why bother debating it" crowd:
Tonight when I get home from work I am going to hug my entire family.Tonight when I get home from work I am going to murder my entire family.Those sentences are ~95% the same, yet one word changes their meaning drastically. Now scale that up to reflect complex legislation and hopefully it makes sense why scrutiny of the content and context of a document is important.

Panavision

That's a very stark example, but not really relevant.

The majority of the deal is unchanged. The financial settlement, citizens rights, the implementation period, etc, are all the same. And MPs have had plenty of time to debate these things.

kav

It was intentionally stark to show how a single word can alter the meaning of something drastically. The changes contained in the 5% are liable to be much more subtle and as such need even more careful scrutiny, not less.