Letter: Doug Beattie should know that both Westminster and Stormont have given unionism nothing

So Doug Beattie states that Jamie Bryson is an Ulster Nationalist and not a unionist (in a clash on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter).

He says that Mr Bryson doesn’t support devolution. He says that Mr Bryson does not respect our sovereign government in Westminster.

Perhaps Doug should look at what devolution has given unionism – that should shouldn’t take him long. I’ll make it easy for him – it’s nothing.

Then Doug could look at our sovereign government in Westminster – what has it given unionism? Shouldn’t take him long. Again I’ll make it easy for him – it’s worse than nothing, we are no longer an integral part of the UK but an outpost of the EU and increasingly more aligned to the Republic of Ireland than the UK despite whatever Prime Minister Sunak might say.

At a time when unionism needs strength and leadership we are unfortunately left with ‘leaders’ like Doug who seem increasingly desperate to get back into Stormont and elect a Sinn Fein-IRA first minister and possibly a justice minister as well.

As for Sir Jeffrey Donaldson – who knows what he will do, does he know himself? No wonder SF, SDLP, Alliance, People before Profit – basically the republicans – are so very quiet, things look like they are going their way (not for the first time) so they can let unionism surrender once again along with the connivance of Westminster.

Christmas is coming and the unionist goose is fat – who will be party to the butchering of the unfortunate goose? There will be plenty to go around for the great and the good but nowt for the honest, ordinary unionist folk.

​Harry Patterson, Castlecaulfield