Letter: Nationalist Ireland under Leo Varadkar was unwilling to make any changes to accommodate unionists in a united Ireland

In the wake of the resignation of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach, Ben Lowry is right to highlight his ceaseless urging for a united Ireland and his successful support for a sea border (‘Leo Varadkar's nationalism was a reminder why Northern Ireland still needs the two-state solution’, March 23).

More important is the unwillingness of nationalist Ireland under Varadkar to make any changes to accommodate unionists in a united Ireland, as Mr Lowry pointed out when he wrote, “refusing to consider joining the Commonwealth or changing the Irish flag or national anthem, even if it is the price of achieving their goal of an all Ireland".

I add the preamble to the Irish constitution states: ‘Humbly acknowledging all our obligations of our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial. Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation.’

Thus the Irish people are defined as being under ‘trial’ by the British for centuries and were ‘rightful’ to achieve independence. These assertions are not going to appeal to unionists yet no attempt has been made to revise this nationalist wording from the 1937 constitution of de Valera.

As Chair of the Reform Group some years ago, we did submit an inclusive alternative, which Mary Robinson had written, to a government body that was reviewing the constitution but this was ignored.

The Irish government and most of its electorate have made it clear they are not prepared to be inclusive to unionists and a two state political solution which Ben Lowry advocates is the best solution.

Robin Bury, Toronto, Canada