United Ireland could make our vote 10 times more powerful

The last UK General Election had over 48 million registered voters, with just over 1.3 million based in the North of Ireland. As a percentage, this represents 2.8% of the total UK electorate, and approximately 2.8% of UK MPs are elected from the North. By comparison, the last Irish General Election had around 3.7 million registered voters. If we had a United Ireland right now, just under 27% of the electorate would reside in the six counties. The Irish electorate of 3.7 million elects 174 TDs. On a proportional basis, an electorate of 1.3 million would elect around 64 TDs. If we assume proportional representation remains unchanged and constituency boundaries are adjusted fairly, Northern representation could be around 64 TDs in a much larger Dáil of approximately 238. For context, Fianna Fáil, the largest party in the Republic of Ireland, currently has 48 TDs. In a United Ireland, the North could potentially have 16 more TDs than Fianna Fáil currently does. By contrast, the largest party in the UK—Labour—has over 22 times the number of MPs as the entirety of the six counties. Even in the incredibly unlikely scenario of every voter in the North uniting behind a single party, it would make no meaningful difference to who governs us from Westminster. However, if the same scenario was recreated in a United Ireland, the North could potentially form the largest bloc in government. These figures are worth considering the next time someone suggests we should focus on ‘bread and butter’ issues rather than constitutional politics. Such statements are often made by those who are comfortable with the status quo of partition. How can we expect to have a real say on major issues such as healthcare, education, and the economy when we have so little control over governance? Not a single Labour politician is elected in the North, yet they still play a huge role in determining policies on immigration, the economy, and taxation. Yes, we have a devolved government, but the limited powers of Stormont pale in comparison to what we would have in a fully sovereign 32-county republic. A United Ireland would move us from being a mere 2.8% of the electorate to around 27%. Effectively, it would give those in the North approximately ten times more influence over how we are governed. If you want greater control over your future, and for your vote to carry real weight, choosing the democratic empowerment of reunification over the electoral paralysis of partition is the obvious choice.