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Ten years after the UK embarked on a hurried public vote that divided the nation and caused chaos, a caution is issued from beyond the Irish Sea: it may occur once more.

Policymakers and citizens sleepwalked into Brexit and the identical might transpire with a national vote on a unified Ireland, triggering upheavals for which no one is equipped.

That is the message from two leading journalists from either side of the Irish border who have teamed up to examine the pros and cons of Northern Ireland exiting the UK to establish a different country with the Republic of Ireland.

Administrative Structures Unprepared

The author and columnist and The Northern Ireland editor, have found that the government bodies in Ireland and Britain are woefully ill-prepared for a possibly tense and seismic public vote.

"The key takeaway of Brexit remains unheeded, which is that stuff can emerge unexpectedly and can gain traction swiftly," O’Toole stated. "I would suggest that the governmental framework of our archipelago remains very unstable."

Book Publication Aims to Encourage Dialogue

The team have analysed the political, economic and cultural rationales for any governmental shift in a publication, For and Against a United Ireland, published by the Dublin-based Royal Irish Academy.

They hope to stir debate on the topic with a series of lectures that will bring them to Westminster soon.

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

"We should prevent a national vote on a binary, ambiguous question whose results have remained undefined because then you land with an extremely divided society where the losing side are resistant to defeat and the victorious side don't know quite what it is that they have won."

Governmental Mandate

Under the peace accord, the Northern Ireland secretary of state should call a referendum on Irish unification if it is indicated that a majority would support.

Nationalist parties and other pro-unification groups claim such a time is looming, and a group named Ireland’s Future has built momentum, but both governments and unionists play down the possibility, resulting in ambiguity when or if there might be a referendum.

Insufficient Serious Debate

Partisan language for and against unification has hidden the lack of serious debate, stated the journalist.

"People tend to be for or against the notion but the actual thinking which could extend past that to make it possible is mostly absent. A great deal has gone on in universities but very few government figures or activists seek to involve themselves with the basics. To illustrate, which kind of country would you want? Centralised? Federal?"

Publication's Method

In the publication, neither author supports unification or the status quo. Each composes two articles that seek impartiality in presenting the argument for a united Ireland and the case opposing it, marshalling financial and societal figures, previous instances and governmental frameworks.

Discussions range over flags and symbols, taxes, healthcare systems, pensions, national debt responsibilities and the threat of unionist unrest. The goal is to enlighten and stimulate dialogue.

"There is significant curiosity in the topic but there is still lacking a discussion," said O’Toole. "Dialogue indicates an acceptance of the concept that there could be good arguments on each side."

Simultaneous Plebiscites

A referendum in Northern Ireland would simultaneously prompt one in the republic, where citizens say they prefer unification but reject paying higher taxes or introducing a different emblem to acknowledge unionists' UK heritage.

"Policymakers in Ireland must work out what the plan from nationalist groups is other than just stating: 'We desire a united Ireland and we love you'," stated the commentator.

Likelihood of Public Vote

McBride believes a national vote in his lifetime is likely and that it may take place abruptly. "You could have just a mad or a ill-advised or a incompetent official who states: 'Let us proceed and get it out of the way.'"

Both nationalists and pro-UK supporters have credible, justified perspectives, he stated. "Somebody will win in this matter and somebody will in the end lose but both parties has has something to learn from the other's positions."

Call for More Extensive Dialogue

Westminster should participate in the dialogue, said the analyst. "This concerns your state. It's a British question just as much as it is an Irish question."