David McNarry: It is bad for unionism to share power at Stormont with those who have a hostile mandate

That however any prime minister would attempt to annex Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom at any time, far less when close to our centenary anniversary, is inflammatory.

Unionists are in no mood to roll over to treachery. It demands a response to betrayal, as well as to republican rebellion.

Constitutional nationalism has been virtually replaced by extreme Irish republicanism which is driving the wider minority community into wanton anti-Britishness. This is a signal that tilts toward political and civic upheaval. Yet it sits centre stage, arrogant, aggressive and unchecked.

Having striven to remove religion from the political landscape, unionists watch on as Sinn Fein weave sectarianism into nationalism.

Connecting to their Britishness is a meritorious cause — it is called ‘unionism’. Pandering to the endless list of republican demands has proved to be a mistake. As has been shoring up the Tory government.

There is no such thing as symbolic separation in the Irish Sea. There is only one border and it is in position.

A praetorian umbrella movement can solidify unionism and defend the Union. A United Unionist Council would indicate to the unionist family that unionism is ready to prepare a 2020 vision for the future.

In a paper ‘Toward the Better Government of Ulster’ submitted in March 1980 to the officers of the Ulster Unionist Council by the Rt. Hon. William Craig , David McNarry and David Trimble they stated, ‘The maintenance of the Union is not something that the Ulster people alone can decide. However if a majority of the electorate for the United Kingdom was to terminate the Union, the Ulster people would decide on a new form of state that would express their British identity and their allegiance to the Queen. The one relationship that can be ruled out is any constitutional relationship with the Irish Republic.’

Unless the constitutional primacy of unionism is endorsed by the occupier of 10 Downing Street, there are no circumstances that unionists can be involved in devolved government.

Sharing power with those chosen by the minority community and given a hostile mandate to destroy the Union cannot be in the interest of unionism.

A United Unionist Council has a vital role to play in emerging with a vision to move unionism forward. A vision which cements the Britishness of Northern Ireland’s constitutional status.

It won’t be easy, it never has been easy to stabilise the majority and the minority communities. Not easy either to unite unionism under one umbrella.

Convincing the newly elected prime minister of the uncompromising resolve to be in control of unionism’s right to self-determination has to be game on.

It is not a time for shadow boxing with an opponent dedicated to cutting unionism down. The message to Sinn Fein is ‘your days of disruption, agitation and disrespect are over’.

Unionists will not be politically partitioned in their own country.

David McNarry, Comber