Letter: Defining a precise criteria to determine the requirement for a border poll

There has been much talk recently about the need to define a precise criteria to determine the need for a border poll.

Some say it should be based on statistics from the Northern Ireland Census, but that would amount to a sectarian headcount, not a scientific rationale.

Others argue that it should be founded on seats won, at both a regional and local level, but our political parties do not fight elections on single-issue manifestos.

Meanwhile, it has been suggested by more than a few that opinion polls are a better indicator than real votes, but that is highly debatable.

In my view, therefore, any decision on the requirement, or otherwise, for a highly contentious constitutional referendum should rely on the following criteria alone;

How many voters are currently backing overtly nationalist parties, and avowedly pro-unity candidates, and how likely are they to gain a majority any time soon?

Alan S Carson, Castlereagh