by Ben Collins
When I wrote my second book The Irish Unity Dividend, I wanted to focus on a small number of key messages. Firstly, everyone who lives across the island will have a better quality of life after reunification. To achieve the full benefits which are possible, we need to do two things. One, plan and prepare before the border poll. Two, we need to go for an integrated form of governance which will lead to the best efficiencies and be the most effective way of delivering public services, an all-Ireland economy, healthcare and education which works for all. We can’t address the climate or housing crises by maintaining partition in any form, after the electorate has voted for unity.
But none of this is possible until such times as the Irish Government begins to prepare for unity and that planning must start now. We do not have time for procrastination, we need to start preparation. It would be astonishing to find ourselves in a referendum without a detailed plan in place and that planning must come from the Irish Government. They have to lead the way. We have to avoid the chaos of Brexit and that means giving people a detailed plan to vote for. I also want our Unionist brothers and sisters to set out a detailed plan for what staying part of the Union would mean. Is this as good as it gets or are things going to improve? If things are going to improve, how is this going to happen? Where is the additional investment going to come from? Democracy works best when people are engaged, consulted on options and given the opportunity to make an informed vote on agreed choices.
I believe that David Trimble was a visionary for Unionism, when he realised that to secure the peace, he needed to do a deal which involved Sinn Féin. History will judge him well for his crucial role in the Good Friday Agreement. We live in a post-conflict society and it is one where we are now in a pre-unity phase. The question is who from within Irish Nationalism will be the visionary who creates the circumstances which lead to the peaceful reunification of our country?
It is great to see so many academics writing about unity, the steady stream of books on the topic and political parties referencing the possibility of reunification. All of the main political parties in the Republic stated their desire for a United Ireland in advance of the Dáil election in November 2024. There were various calls for specific actions to be undertaken now, in advance of the unity referendums. The Shared Ireland Fund has been a great initiative, but it must be a stepping stone, not an end destination.
Hilary Benn as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland felt empowered recently to claim that no-one is talking about a United Ireland and that the prospect of a border poll is not on the horizon. This is partly because the Irish Government has given no indication that they are ready or willing to start the process of reunification. It could be viewed that his comments are also an attempt to shore up support for the United Kingdom across its disparate parts, especially at a time when support for Scottish independence has been consistently at or above 50%. It would be good to know what metrics he is using to make this statement. Democratic decisions, including whether to call a referendum, must be based on more than just a general, unspecified sense of things. The Good Friday Agreement which came into being nearly thirty years ago, included a provision for a border poll. It is beyond time that the Irish Government sets out their view of how and when this democratic instrument should be activated.
I find it extraordinary that Micheál Martin regularly speaks at Wolfe Tone commemorations about the Society of United Irishmen and Irish Republicanism, while being unenthusiastic about a United Ireland. He has stated that he wants there to be reconciliation of people in Northern Ireland, before there can be reunification of the island. The only way we can achieve true reconciliation is through reunification.
As Kevin Meagher has stated, until now it has been assumed that the British Government will only call a border poll when the Irish Government indicates that they are ready and want to see one taking place. However the political flux which is currently happening across Britain means that the circumstances for a border poll, may be created by what happens on the neighbouring island. If the SNP secures a majority in the Scottish Parliament elections, that could lead to another Scottish independence referendum. Plaid Cymru which favours Welsh independence, are leading the polls in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections next May. While Plaid Cymru have stated that they will not push for an independence referendum in their first term of government, we can envisage them building their position as the party of Wales. This could lead to a Welsh independence referendum in their second term of government, just as happened in Scotland.
The biggest change in Britain which could lead to Irish unity, is the very real prospect of Reform UK being in government at Westminster after the next election. Nigel Farage is no friend of Ireland or the European Union. Nor is he a true friend of Unionism. Farage has said that he “admired” President Vladimir Putin of Russia as a political operator and that his handling of the Syria crisis was “brilliant”. But he has never publicly praised Unionist leadership from Northern Ireland in general, by comparison. Moderate unionists are horrified by the thought of Farage becoming Prime Minister of Britain. Just like in Scotland and Wales where support for independence would be boosted, a Reform led British Government would see increased support for Irish unity in Northern Ireland. We also cannot discount the possibility that Nigel Farage as Prime Minister could call a border poll at short notice, to cause chaos and seek to put both Ireland and the European Union on the back foot. The Irish Government can inoculate the island against such a hostile act by planning for unity now.
Peter Robinson, former First Minister and DUP leader said back in 2018 that Unionism needed to prepare for a border poll. It is astounding that the Irish Government has not started a public process of planning what a United Ireland would look like. Talking about the future, setting out options and addressing concerns are the best way that we can have a measured debate and create a New Ireland which is both peaceful and prosperous.
by Ben Collins
When I wrote my second book The Irish Unity Dividend, I wanted to focus on a small number of key messages. Firstly, everyone who lives across the island will have a better quality of life after reunification. To achieve the full benefits which are possible, we need to do two things. One, plan and prepare before the border poll. Two, we need to go for an integrated form of governance which will lead to the best efficiencies and be the most effective way of delivering public services, an all-Ireland economy, healthcare and education which works for all. We can’t address the climate or housing crises by maintaining partition in any form, after the electorate has voted for unity.
But none of this is possible until such times as the Irish Government begins to prepare for unity and that planning must start now. We do not have time for procrastination, we need to start preparation. It would be astonishing to find ourselves in a referendum without a detailed plan in place and that planning must come from the Irish Government. They have to lead the way. We have to avoid the chaos of Brexit and that means giving people a detailed plan to vote for. I also want our Unionist brothers and sisters to set out a detailed plan for what staying part of the Union would mean. Is this as good as it gets or are things going to improve? If things are going to improve, how is this going to happen? Where is the additional investment going to come from? Democracy works best when people are engaged, consulted on options and given the opportunity to make an informed vote on agreed choices.
I believe that David Trimble was a visionary for Unionism, when he realised that to secure the peace, he needed to do a deal which involved Sinn Féin. History will judge him well for his crucial role in the Good Friday Agreement. We live in a post-conflict society and it is one where we are now in a pre-unity phase. The question is who from within Irish Nationalism will be the visionary who creates the circumstances which lead to the peaceful reunification of our country?
It is great to see so many academics writing about unity, the steady stream of books on the topic and political parties referencing the possibility of reunification. All of the main political parties in the Republic stated their desire for a United Ireland in advance of the Dáil election in November 2024. There were various calls for specific actions to be undertaken now, in advance of the unity referendums. The Shared Ireland Fund has been a great initiative, but it must be a stepping stone, not an end destination.
Hilary Benn as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland felt empowered recently to claim that no-one is talking about a United Ireland and that the prospect of a border poll is not on the horizon. This is partly because the Irish Government has given no indication that they are ready or willing to start the process of reunification. It could be viewed that his comments are also an attempt to shore up support for the United Kingdom across its disparate parts, especially at a time when support for Scottish independence has been consistently at or above 50%. It would be good to know what metrics he is using to make this statement. Democratic decisions, including whether to call a referendum, must be based on more than just a general, unspecified sense of things. The Good Friday Agreement which came into being nearly thirty years ago, included a provision for a border poll. It is beyond time that the Irish Government sets out their view of how and when this democratic instrument should be activated.
I find it extraordinary that Micheál Martin regularly speaks at Wolfe Tone commemorations about the Society of United Irishmen and Irish Republicanism, while being unenthusiastic about a United Ireland. He has stated that he wants there to be reconciliation of people in Northern Ireland, before there can be reunification of the island. The only way we can achieve true reconciliation is through reunification.
As Kevin Meagher has stated, until now it has been assumed that the British Government will only call a border poll when the Irish Government indicates that they are ready and want to see one taking place. However the political flux which is currently happening across Britain means that the circumstances for a border poll, may be created by what happens on the neighbouring island. If the SNP secures a majority in the Scottish Parliament elections, that could lead to another Scottish independence referendum. Plaid Cymru which favours Welsh independence, are leading the polls in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections next May. While Plaid Cymru have stated that they will not push for an independence referendum in their first term of government, we can envisage them building their position as the party of Wales. This could lead to a Welsh independence referendum in their second term of government, just as happened in Scotland.
The biggest change in Britain which could lead to Irish unity, is the very real prospect of Reform UK being in government at Westminster after the next election. Nigel Farage is no friend of Ireland or the European Union. Nor is he a true friend of Unionism. Farage has said that he “admired” President Vladimir Putin of Russia as a political operator and that his handling of the Syria crisis was “brilliant”. But he has never publicly praised Unionist leadership from Northern Ireland in general, by comparison. Moderate unionists are horrified by the thought of Farage becoming Prime Minister of Britain. Just like in Scotland and Wales where support for independence would be boosted, a Reform led British Government would see increased support for Irish unity in Northern Ireland. We also cannot discount the possibility that Nigel Farage as Prime Minister could call a border poll at short notice, to cause chaos and seek to put both Ireland and the European Union on the back foot. The Irish Government can inoculate the island against such a hostile act by planning for unity now.
Peter Robinson, former First Minister and DUP leader said back in 2018 that Unionism needed to prepare for a border poll. It is astounding that the Irish Government has not started a public process of planning what a United Ireland would look like. Talking about the future, setting out options and addressing concerns are the best way that we can have a measured debate and create a New Ireland which is both peaceful and prosperous.