Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Gordon Brown's government of Britishness is saying goodbye to Northern Ireland. It seems that the new 'e-border' for this country, currently known officially as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, will lop off Northern Ireland. Here is a picture of what it will look like when you go from, say, Belfast to Manchester or Edinburgh, note the iris scan announcement:
The picture is from the government's official Home Office website on e-borders. On 21st November, Lord West, being in charge of security, had to answer questions on this matter in the House of Lords. Describing the difficulties, at one point he said that people could be coming to Ireland and then getting "into Northern Ireland and then travelling across to the United Kingdom". David Trimble pounced,
My Lords, does the Minister not realise that, when he spoke a moment ago of travelling from Northern Ireland to the United Kingdom, he demonstrated clearly his lack of understanding of the basic concept?
West was obliged to apologise and withdraw, something he seems to be getting used to. It was just a slip and he added that he had "served there" (as one did in the North-West Frontier). But the complaint of Trimble and others was anguished. Does the government know what it is doing with its 'e-frontiers'? Before you try and answer that, you can meditate on the fact that it does seem to have decided that it won't try and stop terrorists getting into Ulster...
Important update (or rather backdate): In the comments below Tom Griffen of the always intelligent and well written Green Ribbon links to the discussion of the whole e-border and internal passport issue in Slugger O'Toole - yes, folks, that's the new name for ID cards, "internal passports" - and writes about it himself.
