Rev Norman Hamilton: Unionism appears to have few ideas and little vision for a healthy society
Ben Lowry’s excellent article on the challenges facing unionism (‘After a grim 2019, unionism faces big challenges in 2020s’, December 28) spurred me to ask some young people in their 20s from unionist backgrounds what reasons they would give for voting that way.
None of them was able to give any substantive reasons, and they were quite untroubled by that.
Frankly, I was unable to offer any convincing rationale to them either.
The Union appears to be dissolving, not least since the Scottish nationalists are building their case and seeking to prepare their electorate for an independent Scotland.
English conservatives are clearly unconcerned about the lack of unionist votes to support them in Westminster for at least another five years.
My question and challenge to the leaders of unionism is this. What exactly are the long term benefits of maintaining the Union that seriously outweigh the attraction of a united Ireland within the EU, and how can it realistically be strengthened?
I have no desire to be part of a united Ireland, nor have my much younger friends.
The face of militant republicanism remains very unattractive. But there is no attraction either to live in the isolated bubble of a disposable Northern Ireland, or in a political vacuum where unionism appears to have few ideas and little vision for a healthy society.
Let’s have some good answers to the question, and a constructive conversation please, and one that won’t fizzle out in a few weeks.
(Rev Dr) Norman Hamilton OBE, Ballymena