Patrick Murphy’s weekly column has consistently provided an accurate and insightful political analysis of the six-county statelet. New Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy’s letter (June 6) castigating Mr Murphy, who is more than capable of defending his own position, for daring to highlight their abandonment of core republican principles is, however, worthy of further illumination. His letter and accompanying article is clearly another kite-flying exercise giving notice of further capitulation on their behalf as they strive to further immerse themselves in ‘Project Norn Iron’, or as their close political ally Arlene prefers calling it “...this great wee country”.
No amount of doublespeak claiming that they are calling for ‘a referendum on Irish unity’ can mask the truth. Carthy and his ilk either simply do not understand the British doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty or they have chosen to ignore the legal and political reality that exists. He lauds the ‘Belfast/Good Friday Agreement’ as some kind of bulwark protecting peoples’ rights while failing to recognise that both the British and Irish ‘co-guarantors’ have dispensed with its content when politically expedient. The six counties remains locked into the UK through the Acts of Union of 1800 and nothing in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 threatens to disturb that position. All that is notionally offered is a British Border Poll, completely subjective to the whim of the secretary of state which is further constrained by a unionist ‘triple lock’ designed by to prevent Irish unity.
At a time of enormous political flux with a potential Brexit and a subsequent inevitable shattering of the UK Carthy pontificates that “...there are more united Irelanders now than at any time since partition”. The irony could hardly be more complete given that there are now many more ‘Northern Irelanders’ than ever with the former Provisional movement a willing core cheerleader. Perhaps Matt, having been away a lot in Strasbourg, has not been keeping abreast of ongoing political developments at home. Republicans have never stopped discussing “...all aspects of the campaign to end partition” and have continued “...to work together, debate with each other and, yes, challenge each other”.
A personal invitation for Matt to re-engage in that campaign and to join in such debate free from the constraints of hierarchical dictates will be forthcoming in due course.Hopefully he will not be found wanting in such engagement.
P NUGENT
Galbally, Co Tyrone
As with so many major issues SDLP clearly leads
Seamus Mallon infamously said to unionists that the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was ‘Sunningdale for slow learners’. It is now equally clear that Sinn Féin are playing catch up in terms of what a future united Ireland may look like.
Matt Carthy MEP (June 6) has called for republicans and nationalists to consider new thinking on the shape of any reunified Ireland, including “transitional arrangements which could perhaps mean continued devolution to Belfast within an all-Ireland structure”.
In a number of past documents the SDLP has set out how we see unity in the context of the agreement and the agreement in the context of Irish unity. Our paper ‘A United Ireland and Agreement’ set out a vision of a united Ireland that respects and builds on the same commitments that lie at the heart of the GFA.
In 2009, in an address at Trinity College Dublin, Mark Durkan MP, strongly defended the GFA as a covenant of honour between two great traditions on the island but highlighted how the agreement provided for the possibility of change in its institutional operations.
Mark Durkan called on all parties to return to the mode of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation or a smaller strategic commission ‘to build a consensus and develop understanding that were previously frustrated’.
He stated: “We could agree a scenario for unity that can begin with retaining a regional assembly in the north with whatever cross-community protections are still agreed to be needed. A model of a united Ireland that also retains and sustains the British-Irish frameworks contained in the agreement. Just as north-south arrangements are especially valued by nationalists in the north but benefit all, so too for unionists with British-Irish structures in a united Ireland.”
As with so many major issues it is clear SDLP lead, Sinn Féin follow.
Cllr TIM ATTWOOD
SDLP, West Belfast
More to EU referendum than meets the eye
There’s no doubt about it, Ian Knox’s illustrations are the best there is. The one on June 8 was no exception. This was the illustration where it showed trade union members waving red flags with the first part of a caption that stated ‘Right comrades, a rousing rendition of the Internationale...’ while the second part added “...except for NIPSA ‘who’ll be singing Rule Britannia’.
This was referring to the EU referendum.
There’s more to this referendum than meets the eye. Although I will be voting to leave the EU there’s an issue that hasn’t been discussed at all. It’s called The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). At present, a series of secret negotiations are going on between representatives of the EU and the US. The discussions involve health, education, water services, etc and the privatisation of all these facilities will be sold off to American firms.
We, as citizens of the EU, won’t have any say in these discussions when they happen – and they will happen.
PADRAIG O FEINNAIN
Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
Leave is too big a risk
As much as I think voting to leave the EU is the way to go, considering what we pay in each year and only get a percentage back, I keep thinking of all the other uncertainty which a leave vote might cause us.
Like will the extra money the British treasury save actually be spent on the things that really matter and the main thing we need extra money urgently for is health? But the problem with Brexit supporters is they deal in likelihood. They are not 100 per cent sure about borders, restriction of travel, immigration, jobs, travel costs and investment – they are guessing what the future holds. As much as I would like to vote leave I think it’s too much of a risk.
If our politicians aren’t totally sure what happens then how are the ordinary people on the street going to know and trust them.
So I’ll be voting to stay in even though the EU will need to start delivering more next time around.
DERMOT SPOLLEN
Portadown, Co Armagh
Think before you leap
I will be voting in support of the UK remaining part of the EU on June 23.
I have listened carefully to the many debates over the past number of weeks and am probably as confused as anyone around the facts and figures promoted in support of a particular referendum preference.
What I am convinced of is that those supporting a Brexit are asking the people to, in effect, jump over a wall without having any clear understanding of what is on the other side of it.
So we should reflect on how much better our society is compared to 40 years ago and that there is no reason why it should not continue to prosper inside the EU if we take up the challenge of dealing properly with the many real issues highlighted in the debate rather than walking away from them.
At the same time I would argue strongly against the ‘ever closer union’ ideal promoted by some.
TREVOR RINGLAND
Holywood, Co Down
