Certainly, if there are no Catholic candidates fielded that will be a blow to the whole purpose of the Tory mission in Northern Ireland. But there is nothing illegitimate or irresponsible about the Tory desire to field Unionist candidates who would take the Tory whip at Westminster. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and as long as it remains so, UK political parties should stand there.Big "Yes" to the second and third sentence but surely the first misses the point about an attempt to develop a civic, secular, non-sectarian Unionism in Northern Ireland? Don't we need to get to a point where the candidates' or our electorates' faith is of no importance? To have a Catholic candidate will be merely superficial window-dressing if the overall product on offer remains a communal one.
The modernisers in the UUP need the full weight of the UK Conservative Party behind them to pull this project off and if Cameron and Co are genuine about being the Party of the Union now is the time they need to show a bit of backbone.
Update
Nigel Dodds has kindly given me an illustration of what we're up against:
Nearly two-thirds back Pan-Unionist pacthe roars.
Two-thirds of the electorate? No.
Two-thirds of Unionist voters? Again, technically, nope.
Responding to today’s Belfast Telegraph opinion poll which showed that some 63% of Protestants surveyed thought the UUP was wrong to dismiss a cross-Unionist electoral alliance, DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds said:Okayyy, got you.
"The desire within the Protestant community for Unionist unity is palpable.
So, that's 68% ((going on the last Census figures) of the electorate (including 40% of "protestants") written off at a stroke.
That's over 40% of the electorate written off as not being potential pro-Union, merely because of their faith.
Tactically, strategically and morally a pact with this party is wrong.
4 comments:
The recent events kinda exposed the UUP for what it is. You may be genuine Oneil but not the wagon you are hitched to. And the Catholic candidates who recently fled were in prime position to judge that Catholics *still* are not welcome.
Who could support a biggoted party like that?
Bear with me, at the end of this thinking out/ramble loud, you'll get an answer!
When the news of the potential link-up with the Conservatives was announced, I had an interesting exchange of emails with a guy, who despite being on the opposite wing of Unionism, has opinions and a grasp of pro-Union feeling on the ground that I listen very carefully to because he's usually pretty close to the bullseye.
He reckoned by design or accident the Tory link-up, if it succeeded, would split the UUP between the "culturalists" and "pan UK civics"- he reckoned "design", which I still think is a tad Machiavellian but tbh I'd got earlier other stuff from another relevant (not UUP)person which kind of fitted in with the overall theory.
If that theory were true, we would see the less loony end of the DUP meeting in the middle with the more fundamentalist wing of the UUP with the Conservatives mopping up the disaffected folk in the UUP like me whose views and presence would not be tolerated in the new arrangement.
As I said, I think even for the Conservatives fixers it would be a bit Machiavellian for them to start out with that intention but I also feel that a realignment in Unionism is most definitely in the air and one that will leave the "civics" (and Conservatives) in a stronger position than they were 2 years ago pre the pact talks.
Long way of saying that, with the possible exception of Fianna Fail, there is no other party in the island (never mind NI) which accomodates and tolerates such a wide range of opinion as the UUP; socialists, conservatives, liberals, pan Ukers, civics, Little Ulster nats and "culturalists".
Despite the occasional critical post on here, I've never had the kind of bollocking or warning to get back online from HQ that I would have undoubtedly had from almost any other party- quite the contrary actually. They seem happy to have contrary sods like me and Chekov around and along with the diversity of opinion, that's why I, despite misgivings about the intentions of certain of the hierarchy, still feel a lot of loyalty towards the party.
In the ideal world, the UUP in its entirety will be moving towards with the Conservatives to create a secular, pan UK alternative to the DUP and TUV. I don't think we'll get that now but until it's been finally been nailed down in that it won't happen it's still worth working for.
I got what you were saying a while a go and gambled you were genuine. In the meantime when the blanket get's thrown it covers everyone, bigot or not. I'm not sure I could countenance that myself.
You really should expand on what you have wrote and blog on it, I reckon you might be onto something. At a minimum it would be compulsory reading, and I'm sure Mick Fealty would be interested in your angle, exibit it there.
It's all a bit pie in the sky stuff at the minute, just my opinion (although fact-deprived posts do tend to be a Slugger speciality!). The candidate selection will be interesting, maybe after that the future will become a bit clearer.
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