Sky Views: How about a UK-Ireland unity World Cup bid?

Faisal Islam, political editor

With any luck, parliament will tonight observe a Brexit ceasefire in time for England's World Cup opener in Russia. The votes on bitterly contested Lords amendments should be finished just ahead of kick-off.

But something more fundamental may have opened up in the past week - the chance to host the World Cup again in 2030. A relatively transparent bidding process led to a victorious joint bid for the 2026 World Cup from the US, Canada and Mexico. Three neighbouring countries currently starting what might be a difficult trade breakdown, after Donald Trump's NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) renegotiation, volley of verbal attacks on the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, and promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

The bidding process transparency - everyone knew who voted and how - opens up the opportunity to bid again since the murky embarrassment of having won just one other vote in David Cameron's and David Beckham's bid to bring the current World Cup to England instead of Russia.

It will be the 100th anniversary of the World Cup in 2030. All the economic analyses show that hosting a World Cup across a nation is great for the economy and much better than a highly concentrated Olympics. The stadiums are already here, all efforts can be focused on a legacy for communities up and down the nations and across the world too. What better way to mark the centenary then than to bring football home to England to celebrate?

Well I can think of two, actually.

A UK-wide bid to help cement the bonds between the four nations. A semi-final in Glasgow or Edinburgh as well as Manchester. Quarter-finals in all the nations. The opening ceremony in Cardiff. And the final at Wembley, presuming it isn't booked for American Football! There are some rumours of early talks occurring already.

But why stop there?

UK-Irish relations are being strained by Brexit, and the next few weeks and months are likely to be very tough. Indeed such strains could remain for some time. The fear is that this could reignite the divides of the past.

Whatever the reality of that, and perhaps particularly because of the fear of that, what better way to signal the opposite, at a people-to-people level, than to involve the Republic of Ireland in a joint World Cup bid.

Ireland is basically fully integrated into UK footballing culture, whether it is the thousands of fans who have watched domestic leagues for decades, or the players too.

... adding in Ireland, while adding a bit of complexity, would be an astute and magnanimous diplomatic move.

Dublin's Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium could be used as venues, with the former large enough to host a semi-final or even the opener, as one of the biggest in Europe. There is a plan for a 40,000 capacity stadium in Belfast at Casement Park.

An entire group or two could be hosted across the still borderless island of Ireland. The proposed Belfast-Stranraer bridge could be built. HS2 should have been largely finished for transport across England and Scotland. There might even be an extra runway at Heathrow.

Of course, the World Cup could be held entirely within England, but adding in Ireland, while adding a bit of complexity, would be an astute and magnanimous diplomatic move.

It is entirely plausible in a World Cup of 48 nations with 16 groups. It is a great act of goodwill, that makes it highly plausible that the Republic could share in a winning World Cup bid. As a celebration of three decades of peace, it may well increase the chances of winning.

A decade after Brexit, it will anchor the UK in a common globally significant people-friendly endeavour with a European Union nation.

Everyone needs such optimistic, cooperative future visions of the UK alongside the EU right now.

And, let's face it, it'll definitely be more fun. #UKIE2030.

Sky Views is a series of comment pieces by Paste BN editors and correspondents.

Previously on Sky Views: Mark Stone - The polarising impact of migration