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Consumer Benefits of Being British
by beano 
on 02 May 2006 at 16:47. Categories: Internet, Northern Ireland, Television, Free Stuff Online I stumbled across NorthernIrishBlogs.com this morning, which led me to this post at United Irelander (surprisingly, since I thought UI was Dublin-based, but I digress). Apparently United Irelander is concerned that us Nordies are being ignored by our countrymen on the mainland following reports about the Britain's new charities lottery, Monday. According to PlayMonday.com, "To play Monday you must be resident in England, Scotland or Wales". (On asking why this was so, I was old "Play Monday is a society lottery. Government legislation prevents us from operating in Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. This is not our policy...")
This led to a warning from UI for unionists that "The British want nothing to do with [Northern Ireland] yet the South continue to offer help". Touching (and misguided) though his concern is, it did lead me to think about something. In practical, everyday terms (in other words ignoring abstract concepts like freedom and my British citizenship etc) what consumer goods and services are available to us in Northern Ireland precisely because we are a part of the UK?
Follow up:
My comment on the post, off the top of my head, found that I had my position in the UK to thank for my competitive bank account, free delivery from Amazon and my free iPod (and, potentially, a free Xbox). However I've also recently realised there is something much more important that I owe to Northern Ireland's position in the UK: digital terrestrial TV! Good old Freeview – E4, More4, ITV 2, Sky Sports News, BBC Three, Four and News 24 (probably, in fact, the BBC itself) – all subscription free.
I should also add the availability of broadband (though no TalkTalk "free" broadband - yet), a more competitive mobile market and probably many other products we take for granted. I'm sure there are many more if I had time to sit and think about it, but even based on the above, I'm certain that given the choice I'd rather be a remote and occasionally forgotten part of the United Kingdom, than in a country outside it.
Update
Just remembered: I also run a small internet business. Paypal charge a cross-border fee for transactions on each payment, so being part of the UK has saved me about 7% of my transaction costs over the last year and a half.
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17 comments
Comment from: Ciarán [Visitor] · http://notindifferentnotsceptical.blogspot.com
Um, why restrict yourself to 'consumer' goods and services? Widen that out and, despite its flaws, you get a general right to universal healthcare at the point of source. It's the NHS and I think it's the phenomenon in the UK of which the people ought to be most proud.
02 May 2006 @ 18:07
Comment from: United Irelander [Visitor] · http://unitedirelander.blogspot.com
"I'd rather be a remote and occasionally forgotten part of the United Kingdom, than in a country outside it."
That strikes me as akin to a forgotten family member who'd rather remain in a household that doesn't want him rather than settle down with someone who does want to be with him and where they can be successful together.
But hey, if you want to feed off the scraps of the British then good luck to you.
That strikes me as akin to a forgotten family member who'd rather remain in a household that doesn't want him rather than settle down with someone who does want to be with him and where they can be successful together.
But hey, if you want to feed off the scraps of the British then good luck to you.
02 May 2006 @ 18:33
Ciaran, thanks for that - you've highlighted exactly the sort of thing I meant when I said we take things for granted.
UI - If all we get are "scraps" as you put it, it says a lot for your beloved Republic that we get more from those 'scraps' than any form of Irish Republic can offer.
UI - If all we get are "scraps" as you put it, it says a lot for your beloved Republic that we get more from those 'scraps' than any form of Irish Republic can offer.
02 May 2006 @ 18:47
Comment from: United Irelander [Visitor] · http://unitedirelander.blogspot.com
beano,
How can you say that when unionists won't even consider what an Irish Republic has to offer? I think you'd get a hell of alot more than you would now. By the way I get all the channels you get and I'm not even part of the UK.
I would argue that the Irish government does alot for NI anyway. Recently when Irish govt officials sought foreign investment abroad they worked to get investment for NI too and I already posted today about the offer that has been made to centenarians - which Jeffrey Donaldson is whingeing about.
Why settle for scraps when you can have a feast?
How can you say that when unionists won't even consider what an Irish Republic has to offer? I think you'd get a hell of alot more than you would now. By the way I get all the channels you get and I'm not even part of the UK.
I would argue that the Irish government does alot for NI anyway. Recently when Irish govt officials sought foreign investment abroad they worked to get investment for NI too and I already posted today about the offer that has been made to centenarians - which Jeffrey Donaldson is whingeing about.
Why settle for scraps when you can have a feast?
02 May 2006 @ 19:28
I think you're (like the DUP) overestimating the centenarians story. To me it's a curiosity more than anything.
Back to the important stuff - do you get those channels on terrestrial or through cable/satellite? I know that you can get them all on Sky, but as far as I knew there were only one or two spots on the border that could get DTT - and obviously they wouldn't get them if Northern Ireland didn't exist, and from what I know it'll be a good few years yet before the Republic's terrestrial telly goes digital.
Back to the important stuff - do you get those channels on terrestrial or through cable/satellite? I know that you can get them all on Sky, but as far as I knew there were only one or two spots on the border that could get DTT - and obviously they wouldn't get them if Northern Ireland didn't exist, and from what I know it'll be a good few years yet before the Republic's terrestrial telly goes digital.
02 May 2006 @ 19:36
Comment from: United Irelander [Visitor] · http://unitedirelander.blogspot.com
E4 is on terrestrial. I don't think the others are but I don't think they're that great anyway. I'm on NTL digital myself so I get most of them although not Channel 5 so I've no idea what that's like.
On terrestrial here we recently got a new channel called Channel 6 but to me it just comes across like an Irish version of E4.
How many of the Irish channels can you get?
On terrestrial here we recently got a new channel called Channel 6 but to me it just comes across like an Irish version of E4.
How many of the Irish channels can you get?
02 May 2006 @ 21:05
Comment from: simon [Visitor] · http://dossing.blogspot.com
I get freeview as well. RTE tends to be ahead in all the american programs.
Sopranos, west wing, lost etc. You should be able to pick them up in the north.
The best thing about the north is free health care. Then again you have free univeristy education in the south.
Sopranos, west wing, lost etc. You should be able to pick them up in the north.
The best thing about the north is free health care. Then again you have free univeristy education in the south.
03 May 2006 @ 00:55
Comment from: Con [Visitor]
A bit of a diversion I know, but somewhat relevant,
I live in London, and would love to have RTE on my TV, primarily to watch the Hurling. SKY have informed me that it is impossible to do so. Yet I can go into any amount of Irish pubs in my local area, and watch RTE at any time of the day or night. HOW COME?
A card from ROI or NI will allow me to access RTE if I insert it into my decoder here, however that requires me setting up an account in Ireland, and maintaining said account. Why o Why can I not have that service in my own home at my GB address?
I asked SKY if I could have it on a subscription basis and was told no. My only legal option to watch Hurling now is to pay per view on Setanta, which I find objectionable to say the least. As a free, state (haha) broadcaster RTE is available for everyone in Ireland, yet even though my family, who live in part of thr UK or the occupied 6 whatever, can get these channels through SKY, I cannot, even though I live in the capital city of the same UK
Would it not be great if all residents of Ireland and Britain had access to the same services? after all we are probably bound to each other more than any other set of nations on Earth.
I live in London, and would love to have RTE on my TV, primarily to watch the Hurling. SKY have informed me that it is impossible to do so. Yet I can go into any amount of Irish pubs in my local area, and watch RTE at any time of the day or night. HOW COME?
A card from ROI or NI will allow me to access RTE if I insert it into my decoder here, however that requires me setting up an account in Ireland, and maintaining said account. Why o Why can I not have that service in my own home at my GB address?
I asked SKY if I could have it on a subscription basis and was told no. My only legal option to watch Hurling now is to pay per view on Setanta, which I find objectionable to say the least. As a free, state (haha) broadcaster RTE is available for everyone in Ireland, yet even though my family, who live in part of thr UK or the occupied 6 whatever, can get these channels through SKY, I cannot, even though I live in the capital city of the same UK
Would it not be great if all residents of Ireland and Britain had access to the same services? after all we are probably bound to each other more than any other set of nations on Earth.
05 May 2006 @ 22:48
My dad gets RTE etc on his Sky package and never watches it. I'd imagine the issue is a contractual one (eg Setanta perhaps have rights to GAA etc in GB, or maybe RTE only pay carriage for RoI/NI customers?) I don't think I'd ever watch it if I had it, save for the football which I believe is blocked in NI boxes anyway.
06 May 2006 @ 11:59
Comment from: hotdogx [Visitor]
The standard of living in the republic is now better than that of northern ireland, infact the only advantage the union offers is slightly better healthcare and that is being improved in the republic. we have broadband,multichannel tv all the channels you get in NI and not just british channels, we are improving road network new motorways and roads here are now better than in NI (in ni we have the n1 going in the wrong direction,wonder why!), we have a train network which is expanding (ni seem to be closing theirs). Years of division and political vacum plus a forign government that has stated before that it has no interest in northern ireland. Also the true british in britain do not wish for NI to stay in the union. NI has no sense of itself as almost half its population wish for a united ireland. The republic is a success as all of its people are represented equally in a democratic state, instead of 2% reppresentation for unionists in thge british parlement. Unionists would thave 10 times the political muscle in a 32 county republic. The country should never have been partitioned, the proof of this is that you dont have anyone wishing to rejoin the union in the republic. Unionist before the troubles im told quite happily refered to themselves as irish, maybe the will again
07 May 2006 @ 23:32
Jesus that's so full of holes I don't know where to begin... Here's a few brief responses to some of your points in no particular order...
"Unionist before the troubles im told quite happily refered to themselves as irish, maybe the will again"
Before the troubles there was less of a fear that being Irish was not seen as precluding also being British. Xenophobia and a dirty sectarian war have ways of changing how people look at life.
"The republic is a success as all of its people are represented equally in a democratic state, instead of 2% reppresentation for unionists in thge british parlement. Unionists would thave 10 times the political muscle in a 32 county republic."
I'm pretty sure I explained before why this is a meaningless argument. They would have over 50% representation in an indpendent NI and nearly 100% representation if they cut off just Antrim and Down, for a start. Maybe not practical examples, but the point is that what you've got more than anything else is simply an argument against centralised authority, and not a convincing one.
"we have broadband,"
We have better coverage
multichannel tv
Yes, but you still don't have digital terrestrial TV so, correct me if I'm wrong, but above the basic channels you can't get anything without a monthly fee.
"the true british in britain "
An example of how the "true Irish" patronisingly view the values and culture of their northern neighbours? We're not really British, we're just deluding ourselves. There's respect for diversity right there.
"in ni we have the n1 going in the wrong direction,wonder why!"
That's the M1, and if they'd built it south then that probably would have been cited as another example of Stormont ignoring the nationalists in the west of the province. Sometimes you just can't win.
"plus a forign government that has stated before that it has no interest in northern ireland.
Assuming you meant foreign, that's just another way of insulting unionists in Northern Ireland.. Also, they said they had no selfish ecomonmic interest in Northern Ireland, which was simpy their way of saying they will not hold on to it if the people choose to leave the UK. In most countries this is called democracy.
"The country should never have been partitioned,"
It probably shouldn't, but alas the events of 1916 and the home rule movement dictated that it must.
"Unionist before the troubles im told quite happily refered to themselves as irish, maybe the will again"
Before the troubles there was less of a fear that being Irish was not seen as precluding also being British. Xenophobia and a dirty sectarian war have ways of changing how people look at life.
"The republic is a success as all of its people are represented equally in a democratic state, instead of 2% reppresentation for unionists in thge british parlement. Unionists would thave 10 times the political muscle in a 32 county republic."
I'm pretty sure I explained before why this is a meaningless argument. They would have over 50% representation in an indpendent NI and nearly 100% representation if they cut off just Antrim and Down, for a start. Maybe not practical examples, but the point is that what you've got more than anything else is simply an argument against centralised authority, and not a convincing one.
"we have broadband,"
We have better coverage
multichannel tv
Yes, but you still don't have digital terrestrial TV so, correct me if I'm wrong, but above the basic channels you can't get anything without a monthly fee.
"the true british in britain "
An example of how the "true Irish" patronisingly view the values and culture of their northern neighbours? We're not really British, we're just deluding ourselves. There's respect for diversity right there.
"in ni we have the n1 going in the wrong direction,wonder why!"
That's the M1, and if they'd built it south then that probably would have been cited as another example of Stormont ignoring the nationalists in the west of the province. Sometimes you just can't win.
"plus a forign government that has stated before that it has no interest in northern ireland.
Assuming you meant foreign, that's just another way of insulting unionists in Northern Ireland.. Also, they said they had no selfish ecomonmic interest in Northern Ireland, which was simpy their way of saying they will not hold on to it if the people choose to leave the UK. In most countries this is called democracy.
"The country should never have been partitioned,"
It probably shouldn't, but alas the events of 1916 and the home rule movement dictated that it must.
08 May 2006 @ 00:26
Added to the OP:
"By the way, I also run a small internet business. Paypal charge a cross-border fee for transactions on each payment, so being part of the UK has saved me about 7% of my transaction costs over the last year and a half."
"By the way, I also run a small internet business. Paypal charge a cross-border fee for transactions on each payment, so being part of the UK has saved me about 7% of my transaction costs over the last year and a half."
08 May 2006 @ 00:29
Comment from: Ranier [Visitor]
Wow, digital terrestrial TV!!! Oh man!!! Thats awesome!!! Does the rest of world know this!!! Everybody, come to the UK, drop everything and become British, because they've got...wait for it... digital terrestrial TV!!!
Awesome channels repeating the same junk over and over again, dire tv's shows that nobody watches from the 1980's, corrupt Bid TV shows that fleece the unsuspecting (idiot) Brit into buying junk goods for 100 time its value. Yes. Its great to be British. God Save the Queen and her digital terrestrial TV.
Awesome channels repeating the same junk over and over again, dire tv's shows that nobody watches from the 1980's, corrupt Bid TV shows that fleece the unsuspecting (idiot) Brit into buying junk goods for 100 time its value. Yes. Its great to be British. God Save the Queen and her digital terrestrial TV.
01 Jul 2006 @ 13:37
Comment from: Ranier [Visitor]
NI's position, like most regions in the UK is severly flawed and has no chance of becoming the beacon of Orange Supremacy, i mean prosperous politically sound secure region of the UK that Unionists dream of. Being aligned with London is what is destroying NI. Nationalists see no benefit either economically or ideologically and Unionism's tie to Britian is little more than a heroin ideology, dependent on London and every scrap from the table(ie, call centre) she sends her way.
01 Jul 2006 @ 13:41
Comment from: howard [Visitor]
A free NHS!
And, if you're a GP, a starting salary of £95,000.
And, if you're a GP, a starting salary of £95,000.
01 Jul 2006 @ 19:36
Ranier - I like the way you've managed to make a whole post waffling on about only one of the benefits listed here.
"Being aligned with London is what is destroying NI."
And here was me thinking 30 years of sectarian violence made a small contribution to that.
Of course I wouldn't expect a sensible answer from anyone who waffles on for that long mopeing along in a paranoid rant about some mythical "Orange Supremacy".
Howard - I think I chose the wrong career.
"Being aligned with London is what is destroying NI."
And here was me thinking 30 years of sectarian violence made a small contribution to that.
Of course I wouldn't expect a sensible answer from anyone who waffles on for that long mopeing along in a paranoid rant about some mythical "Orange Supremacy".
Howard - I think I chose the wrong career.
01 Jul 2006 @ 19:57
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