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A decade following the UK entered into a rushed referendum that polarised the country and unleashed turmoil, a warning emerges from beyond the Irish Sea: it might repeat.

Policymakers and electorate entered unwittingly Brexit and the same may happen with a national vote on a united Ireland, sparking upheavals for which no one is equipped.

That represents the warning from two prominent journalists from each side of the Irish border who have joined forces to examine the advantages and disadvantages of Northern Ireland departing the UK to form a new state with the Republic of Ireland.

Governmental Establishments Ill-Equipped

The author and columnist and Sam McBride, have found that the government bodies in Ireland and Britain are woefully unprepared for a potentially tense and monumental referendum.

"The key takeaway of Brexit remains unheeded, which is that developments can come out of the blue and can build support rapidly," O’Toole stated. "In my opinion that the institutional structure of our archipelago remains extremely volatile."

Released Volume Seeks to Stir Debate

The pair have examined the governmental, economic and cultural reasons for any structural alteration in a volume, Examining Irish Unification, released by the Irish Royal Irish Academy.

They aim to provoke discussion on the matter with a roadshow of public talks that will lead them to Westminster early next month.

"What concerns everybody, or ought to concern every person, is the Brexit vote of 2016," stated the analyst.

"We should prevent a referendum on a binary, vague proposition whose implications have not been clarified because then you find yourself with an highly divided society where the losing side are unable to accept losing and the victorious side don't know precisely what it is that they have won."

Legal Framework

Under the Belfast Agreement, the Northern Ireland government minister should call a referendum on Irish unity if it appears likely that a most voters would support.

Nationalist parties and other nationalists argue that moment is looming, and a group named Ireland’s Future has rallied support, but authorities in Dublin and London and unionists play down the possibility, resulting in ambiguity if and when there could be a referendum.

Insufficient Serious Debate

Political rhetoric for and against unification has masked the absence of serious debate, stated the journalist.

"Individuals are often for or against the concept but the detailed consideration which might go beyond that to realise it has largely not occurred. A lot has gone on in universities but scarcely any government figures or advocates want to engage with even the basics. For instance, what type of nation might be preferred? Unitary? Federal?"

Book's Approach

In the book, no writer supports unification or the status quo. They authors two pieces that aim for impartiality in presenting the argument for a unified Ireland and the argument against, marshalling financial and social figures, past examples and governmental frameworks.

Debates encompass national emblems, duties, medical care, elderly benefits, national debt responsibilities and the danger of loyalist violence. The goal is to inform and encourage dialogue.

"There is significant curiosity in the subject but there has not yet occurred a debate," said the writer. "Debate indicates an acknowledgement of the notion that there may exist good arguments on each side."

Simultaneous Plebiscites

A public vote in Northern Ireland would simultaneously prompt one in the republic, where voters report they favour unity but reject greater financial contributions or adopting a alternative symbol to reflect unionists' British culture.

"The Irish government must work out what the proposal from pro-unification movements is aside from just declaring: 'We want a unified Ireland and we value you'," remarked O’Toole.

Probability of Public Vote

The journalist thinks a national vote in his lifetime is likely and that it might occur abruptly. "It is possible just a mad or a ill-advised or a feckless secretary of state who states: 'Let's just do this and settle the matter.'"

Each of the nationalists and pro-UK supporters have reasonable, valid arguments, he stated. "One side will prevail here and somebody will in the end be defeated but all factions has possesses something to learn from the opposing arguments."

Appeal for Wider Debate

Westminster should join the debate, stated the analyst. "This concerns Britain. It's a UK matter just as much as it is an Irish matter."