Who or what is a unionist today? What does he or she stand for? And where is unionism heading in the years ahead? The answers to these questions are for Sir Reg Empey and Peter Robinson to give us.
I’ve a sneaking feeling that some unionists are more Ulster nationalist than United Kingdomers. They profess a loyalty to the Queen, just as many Scottish nationalists do, but beyond that they have little or no allegiance to Westminster politics, to British ministers or to direct rule. Are they really unionists at all?
Closer ties between the Ulster Unionists and the Conservative party offers the possibility of a real choice between the two big strands of unionism. It would be mighty interesting to see the voters respond.
It will indeed.
6 comments:
Why do you not support Alliance. After all it is linked to a UK political party (the Lib Dems), is unionist and non-sectarian?
Sounds like the perfect party for you actually.
Valid question.
There's several Alliance politicians that I respect (Naomi Long and Anna Lo), but as a party they have moved from being pro-union since 1998, to a more neutral position- following what the people of NI decide as regarding their constitutional future, as opposed to promoting the Union as the logical way forward.
Also, as in common with other NI parties they follow a very parochial, Ulster First approach; their link with the Lib Dems is at the minute tenuous and has actually caused tension in the party between those who see Alliance's role merely as a NI middle-man and those who would want to promote a more outward-looking liberal agenda. Ironically they've criticised the UUP/Tory link up as pandering to identity politics, whereas they, to a large extent, need the same communal pressures to thrive. I'd love to see them start looking upwards and come to a similar agreement with the LDs.
This is real progress. Mr Curran has in the past done his damnest to squash the 'equal citizenship' message so the fact that he appears to have 'seen the light' is marvellous
All we need now is "equal citizenship" for the English...
O'Neill, I use to argue with academics about whether Alliance was "unionist". I'm glad that at least you recognise Alliance has shifted to a more neutral constitutional position.
As for UUP-Conservative and Alliance-Lib Dem pacts, I reckon they're fine for one-nation British living here, but I still don't see how they reconcile with the one-nation Irish here.
I suppose what troubles me is that there is no constitutional SETTLEMENT here, just an agreement to manage the situation for the moment.
IMHO, if there was some sort of settlement, sui generis, then I'm all for a revitalising party system shake up.
Or if anyone can convince me that a party system shake up will more likely lead to a settlement (and not instability).
As for UUP-Conservative and Alliance-Lib Dem pacts, I reckon they're fine for one-nation British living here, but I still don't see how they reconcile with the one-nation Irish here.
The constitutional status of NI has been settled (although most Unionists haven't the self-confidence to believe it yet). Whilst the Union remains, NI will remain a part of it for well into the foreseeable future. Now, bearing that in mind, the task for Unionism is to actually remove the Union from the political question and to start concentrating on the wider picture. Economically, yes, we've got to have strong links with the ROI. But politically every decision that affects us in a meaningful way originates in Westminster. We need to be more proactive in developing those east-west links and by doing so push our argument out of the sectarian comfort-zone it's been dragged into.
As part of that process, there needs to be a realisation, on the part of Unionists, that being a part of the Uk involves responsibilities as well as rights. And one of those responsibilites is the tolerance and accomodation of views and cultures which are (traditionally) not our own. We need to develop and take pride in the fact that we too are Irish and obviously a part of the island.
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