As a young Nationalist, I was always told by those in power in Stormont and in Westminster and every year since that, ‘so long as the majority of the people of Northern Ireland wish to remain part of the United Kingdom that was the stated position of the British government.’
Today we are living with the hangover of partition.
Ireland was divided by Britain and two states emerged. The Irish Free State comprising 26 counties and the new state of Northern Ireland comprising the remaining 6.
This state of affairs came about after the Irish War of Independence against Britain’s continued occupation of Ireland, had forced the British to concede partial autonomy for a part of Ireland, while creating a political foothold on the island of Ireland whereby they could continue to have an input into the politics of Ireland by influencing, the politics of Northern Ireland.
The Irish Republican Army who prosecuted the war against the British accepted partition by the very narrowest of majorities, under the threat by the British that if they did not accept partition Ireland would face a brutal all-out war from Britain using all the military strength at its disposal.
The bastardised State of Northern Ireland came into being on May 3 1921 and today May 3 20221, marks 100 years of partition. One hundred years of Unionist control of the State and 100 years of discrimination and sectarianism. State endorsed denial of the rights of the indigenous people their culture, language and traditions. The Irish people and Catholicism have been second-class citizens in their country. Though many things have changed from the Civil rights marches of the ‘60s demanding reform of the state through the armed campaign for Irish reunification and British withdrawal to the Good Friday Agreement which saw an end to armed conflict by some and transition into political power by Sinn Fein some things haven’t changed. The Irish Language Act which was part of the new decade new deal agreement has yet to see the light of day. As yet there is still no official recognition of the Irish language having the same position in the state as the English language. A language with equal status to be used in civil society and in interactions with the state institutions such as the courts.
It is the British who will decide when a border poll can be called in an effort to gauge the appetite for Irish reunification.
Arlene Foster, the First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party has resigned her position as she has lost the confidence of her party colleagues and hardline loyalist paramilitaries.
The withdrawal of Great Britain and Northern from the European Union has exacerbated the demise of Unionism as the people here overwhelmingly voted to stay in the EU , yet the DUP backed Boris Johnson and the leave campaign.
The new Irish Customs Sea border allows Northern Ireland to remain in the EU customs union and places customs checks between Britain and Northern Ireland at the Northern Ireland ports.
To some unionists and many loyalists this dilutes the union.
It has led to street violence and more recently illegal parades and protests which contravene the covid emergency laws designed to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Foster has failed to deliver on the protocol changes demanded by rank and file loyalists and has paid the price.
The next leader, tipped to be a fundamentalist right -wing conservative who believes the earth is 6000 years old, who believes a woman’s place is best served as a mother wife and daughter and who states homosexuality can be countered by Gay Conversion Therapy, is the ideal man to circle the wagons with the loyalist paramilitiaries and draw us all back 100 years to 1921.
Unionists and Loyalists who adhere to the union will never vote to accept reunification and will always threaten violence as their response to ending the colonial link with Britain.
With this in mind those who claim 50% +1 is not enough to ensure a peaceful transition to a reunited island I would say this.
There will always be friction and violence when the colonial rump of Britain’s presence in Ireland is forced to accept equality with the indigenous population.
In order to defer violence a recalcitrant unionist base must be convinced it will be better off in a united Ireland.
If 50%+1 gets a withdrawal from Europe in a national referendum in Britain 50% +1 is enough for a democratic mandate from the people here for unification.
I believe the result will be much, much higher.
In reality if you are a democrat you must accept the will of the people. Unionism and its loyalist paramilitary bed -fellows must no longer have a veto on progress on the island of Ireland.
End the veto. End partition. Let Ireland once a province beju, a nation once again.
For all its soon and daughters.
It’s not magic it’s 50+1
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