![Northern Ireland [right]](img/ni.gif)
22nd March 2005
SDLP Launch Blueprint for United Ireland
The SDLP got in some early electioneering yesterday, announcing their proposals for an all-ireland state. We all know the SDLP exist in order to achieve the creation of an independent all-ireland state. That part of the story is not particularly newsworthy. The reason this launch is making news is that, apparently for the first time, they've sat down and thought out how it might function. The result is their new document, "A Better Way to a Better Ireland".
For nationalists, this is a positive step. Rather than posturing and flag waving, some of them are actually putting some thought into how a “united Ireland†would work.
Under the SDLP’s plans, all the safeguards currently afforded to the minority nationalist community would be transferred to the new minority: unionists. These would include the right to choose their nationality, bill of rights, representation in the upper house of the British Parliament. Most importantly, the Northern Ireland Assembly would remain, with its cross-community protection. Essentially Northern Ireland would become a devolved region of Ireland rather than a devolved region in the UK. Ergo, instead of sending MPs to Westminster, Northern Ireland would elect TDs to the Dail.
This has provoked condemnation among some republicans, yet there is a notable absence of any other realistic proposal for a united Ireland to come from any other mainstream nationalist or Irish party. The SDLP claim they are unique in having a strategy for achieving a united Ireland and a clear vision of how it will function.
SDLP leader, Mark Durkan said: “We believe that all the rights, protections and inclusion that nationalists sought within Northern Ireland while it is in the United Kingdom, must equally be guaranteed to unionists within a united Ireland. We are emphatic that unity must not be about the entrapment of a new minority.â€
Even to moderate unionists, the proposals seem reasonable. They’re not going to convince any that a united Ireland is in their interests, nor will it encourage many of them to vote SDLP in the coming election. What it does do however, is reassure unionists that just because the party has a different aim from unionism, doesn’t mean it is as hostile to unionists. This might not help the SDLP much electorally (except maybe helping them in their ongoing quest to out-Irish Sinn Fein), but it could help unionists realise that supporting a united Ireland doesn't equate with the battlecry of Sinn Fein and their supporters, "Tiocfaidh Ar La" which sounds more like a call for vengence than any kind of serious proposal for the future.
Comments:
What rubbish! I believe Langhammer is stepping down from his post in Newtownabbey council. Good job really, he'd never get in coming out with tripe like this.
28th March 2005 @ 16:22
23rd May 2005 @ 08:52 Or that it would win them a few extra votes in the election as part of an overall strategy to outgreen Sinn Fein.
Anyone who thinks that a referendum in the near future would yeild a result that republicans want are deluding themselves. Unionists have become notoriously apathetic and have given up on party politics but a referendum would draw out all the so-called "garden centre prods".
This is ignoring even the fact that anything up to 20% of Catholics might vote to maintain the status quo for all sorts of reasons (including one I know who cited the cost of prescriptions in the Republic!)
I think Ulster's sovereignty is safe for the time being ;)
23rd May 2005 @ 09:36 Ive been looking at the statistics lately and it works out that 43.6% of the electorate voted nationalist, still a long way off 50% so that i suppose prooves your point. A few protestants may vote for a UI when the day comes to vote but why do so many catholics vote to stay in the union, this baffels me! There could be a slim chance in a few yearsa yes vote would be carried However crossboarder bodies will need to be up and running for a while by this stage, i would imagine. What do you think
Paisley saying no to the GFA is a disaster if he's allowed to go ahead with his hard line attitude. This practically finishes any chance of peace, on the other had the brits might just get fed up with paisley and start the cross boarder bodies etc. anyway guaranteeing sinn fein a place at the table provided the armed IRA struggle is over. If not its back to the troubles, just what unionism wants- the status quo! terrorism british army, here we go again! I hope not
23rd May 2005 @ 22:38 getting back to the healthcare:
I think the irish government is finally learning from other EU countries how to operate a good healthcare system. I studied in france for a year in Bordeaux and i did a degree in aeronautics engineering at the university of bordeaux. During that time i had all the healthcare benifits i had at home in ireland through the french healthcare system. I think the system down here will have well improved before a UI happens.
24th May 2005 @ 20:01 I would like to know to, but probably for different reasons than yourself. I think some just realise tha if a united Ireland came about, all of a sudden there's potential for loyalists to become the 'freedom fighters' that the IRA have claimed to be for so long. Moving the UK/Irish Republic border from Fermanagh over to the Irish Sea will still leave many people on the 'wrong' side.
I think you must take the 43.6% with a healthy dose of salt. Of the 2 Catholics I mentioned that I know for sure would vote to maintain the Union, neither, I think, actually voted but had they, one would have voted SF the other SDLP.
"Paisley saying no to the GFA is a disaster if he's allowed to go ahead with his hard line attitude. "
Sinn Fein like to portray a no to the GFA as a no to peace. Lots of unionists have always had reservations with the GFA (prisoner release, RUC reform and now d'Hondt). When they say the GFA is dead they're basically saying they need rid of d'Hondt and a better system in place.
To be fair, if the GFA had been implemented properly we would not be where we are today. The IRA should be gone by now for a start and the DUP would have nothing to complain about.
"If not its back to the troubles, just what unionism wants- the status quo! terrorism british army, here we go again! I hope not"
Aside from my disgust at your suggestion that Unionists somehow want to go back to the troubles, that statement is rubbish. The only way the army will be back on the streets is if the IRA go back to blowing shit up. The ball's in their court. None of us ever wanted the past 30 years of strife and hatred.
" unemployment is lower and pospects are better now than ever before. A UI is lookng like a better idea all the time."
You're assuming the Celtic Tiger can keep growling. Most opinion suggests it can't go on forever, especially with interest rates being dictated by what works for the vastly different economies of France and Germany.
Your next statement that a UI would 'end the conflict for good' is a bit ill-thought out I think. As I said above, you now just have a new minority who are in the 'wrong' country.
"when the north starts to work with the rest of the country"
I think you're right, 'the north' should start to work with the rest of the country... the politicians seem to see their role in Westminster as adversarial rather than cooperative. Here's hoping the mainland parties take over here sooner rather than later (a pipedream I know).
I presume you're referring to Northern Ireland working with the Irish Republic though. There is scope for co-operation, but I feel we're much more in competition with them than anything else. The coca-cola plant for example. Northern Ireland needs to develop an edge over the Republic, not be sucked into becoming a poor region of it.
25th May 2005 @ 12:46 your right in saying that alot of people will find themselves on the wrong side of the boarder. But this has happened before.....
Back when the irish free was formed alot of unionists that time found themselves on the wrong side, but they became integrated into society here. Look at donegal for example which had a large number of unionists living there, their decendants are still there today and they do their marching every summer and its the most peaceful one in ireland and it happens in the republic at rossnowlagh. I went one year myself just to have a look. People here are not interested in each others beliefs in the way that people are north of the boarder.
Dublin was very much and still is a potestant city today with people from all denominations living there. Back when my grandparents got married a catholic and a potestant getting married was unheard of, and for that my grandfather was shunned by his family for nearly 10 years it took them a long time to accept my grandmother but they did in the end. This is all diffirent today now, nobody cares what religion anyone is. Even decendants of originally unionist families refer to themselves as irish now here in the republic not out of fear but of teir own free will. There are people here that refer to themselves as "west brits". they can go and broacast it all they want in the middle of the street and nobody is interested. those people still hold teir uk passports if they wish.
Now wouldn't it be great if all of ireland could be like that. Nobody would mind unionists having their links with the uk.
everybody could do what they pleased!
All of us here in the rep. want to see the end of the IRA and a beginning of the democratic process.
Im going to finish my response to the rest of your post tomorrow as i have to be up early for work.
25th May 2005 @ 22:04
Next post: Unionist Election Pact Still Not Dead? Previous post: Everything Ulster To Bring Election Coverage for 2005
Recent Posts
- About Everything Ulster's Election 2005 Site
- Everything Ulster Moved
(1 comments) - Everything Ulster to be Reborn
(4 comments) - Hermon: UUP Must Be More Liberal
(7 comments) - Council Elections - It's not that bad.... is it?
(13 comments) - Withdrawn Councillor Elected Anyway!
(3 comments) - DUP Soaring In Council Elections
(1 comments) - DUP Take Early Lead
- German Neo-Nazis: The New MOPEs
(5 comments) - David Trimble Steps Down
(30 comments) - Election 2005 Post-Mortem
(12 comments) - North Down: Hermon Elected
(3 comments)
Archives
- Election 2005 Blog
- October 2005 (1)
- May 2005 (33)
- April 2005 (37)
- March 2005 (9)
- more...
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| << < | > >> | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
Links
- Northern Irish Magyar
A Norn Irn ex-pat in Hungary - Portadown News
Spoof Northern Ireland News - Slugger O'Toole
Top N.I. News/Politics Blog - StadiumForBelfast
Keep Northern Ireland Sport in Belfast - Young Unionists
Blog by the Young Unionists (UUP)
Syndicate this blog 
What is RSS?
powered by
Content © EverythingUlster.com 2005 unless otherwise stated
