Irish nationalists may offer whatever they wish but we will not insult ourselves by participating in any so-called ‘border poll’

The over-arching desire of unionist/loyalist leaders to, above all else, appear ‘reasonable’, ‘dignified’ and ‘conciliatory’ has created the impression that unionist resolve is finite, lacking any red lines.

Undoubtedly this pusillanimous politeness has encouraged the development of the latest consensus to beguile Irish nationalists — the ‘New Ireland’ debate to which Ben refers, the concept that if the right inducements can be offered then unionists might be persuaded through the mechanism of a ‘border poll’ to enter this Irish utopia.

In short that honeyed words and false promises will achieve what bombs and murder did not.

May I, via the News Letter, be permitted to be more blunt than polite? What people would participate in any exercise simply designed to sweep them and their country into oblivion? Irish nationalists may offer whatever they wish, we will not insult ourselves or our country by participating in any so-called ‘border poll’.

As Northern Ireland’s centenary rapidly approaches the best birthday present we can give our country and ourselves is the removal of any doubt as to her future.

Robert Wallace, Portadown