the problem with the union

[Rjk]

Interesting article. One thing that astounded me though was this..

For the record, though: in 1841, the population of Ireland was 8.2 million, more than three times that of Scotland, and over half that of England. Then the potato blight came. There are still fewer people living on the island of Ireland than there were in 1841.

Yes it must have been horrifying, 1 million died and many more forced to leave.
And the UK government response at the time is perhaps the most extreme example that we have never been in a union of equals.