Jamie Bryson: I challenged NIO minister over the department's treatment of unionists but he just called for unionist compromise

A letter from Jamie Bryson:
By Letters
Published 21st Apr 2023, 06:32 BST
Steve Baker, UK Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, at a service at Clonard Monastery to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Jamie Bryson says he challenged him at a later date. "Unlike the self-styled ‘hardmen’ of Brexit, unionism is made of sterner stuff," writes Mr BrysonSteve Baker, UK Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, at a service at Clonard Monastery to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Jamie Bryson says he challenged him at a later date. "Unlike the self-styled ‘hardmen’ of Brexit, unionism is made of sterner stuff," writes Mr Bryson
Steve Baker, UK Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, at a service at Clonard Monastery to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Jamie Bryson says he challenged him at a later date. "Unlike the self-styled ‘hardmen’ of Brexit, unionism is made of sterner stuff," writes Mr Bryson

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO)’s treatment of the unionist community and the Union in recent years and months has been little short of appalling. This week at Queen’s the generous and statesman’s contribution by Senator George Mitchell stands in contrast to the appalling diatribe launched by the increasingly delusional secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris.

So absurd, offensive and detached from unionism was Mr Heaton-Harris’s speech that it could only have come from the NIO. Following this I challenged the NIO minister Steve Baker on the government’s repeated misleading of unionists, and asked him to cease the jargon and instead set out for me precisely when the government will be delivering on their express promise to restore the Acts of Union.

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Mr Baker had no answer other than to distract with yet more lecturing about unionism compromising. I hope he now understands unionism will not be compromising on the Union, nor implementing its subjugation. There is a deliberate and increasing effort to create a momentum that the DUP are going to go back to power sharing whilst the Union remains in suspension. If they do, then they shred their fundamental promises and would have to collaborate in the subjugation of the Union. I hope they will not countenance this.

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The NIO need to come to terms with the fact that, with all due respect, the unionist electorate is not found in the Whitla Hall or amongst the great and the good. Cheers and applause from non-unionists will not, for one moment, have any impact amongst the unionist community. The secretary of state and Mr Baker would love unionism to compromise on the Union and implement its subjugation, but unlike the self-styled ‘hardmen’ of Brexit, unionism is made of sterner stuff. There are things beyond the scope of compromise. After 25 years of the ethos that ‘unionism must give, and nationalism must get’, enough was enough long ago. We are now asked to implement the subjugation and suspension of the Union: it is not happening. It doesn’t matter how much pressure is applied.

They ought to remember unionism withstood 30 years of the IRA’s brutal terrorist campaign and wouldn’t bow the knee. To paraphrase the excellent contribution by Emma Little-Pengelly MLA at Queens: we do not exist to bow to presidents or prime ministers, past or present. Our only interest is the Union, and it is that which must be our utmost priority.

Jamie Bryson, Head of Legal Advocacy and Public Relations, JWB Consultancy, Donaghadee

Related topics:Jamie BrysonSteve BakerNIOChris Heaton-HarrisGeorge MitchellQueenDUP