Letter: The threat to the Union is not Nigel Farage, it's unionists losing their nerve
A letter from Ian Fawley:
I always take an interest in Ed Ferrin’s well written letters, even when he's telling off other unionists, eg, for wanting a single unionist party.
Ed’s description of Reform UK as an English Nationalist Party is used by those who are anti-Brexit, and are in agreement with journalist and advocate of a united Ireland Fintan O’Toole, who stresses what he believes are links between Brexit and English nationalism.
Have you noticed, Fintan never mentions the Welsh Brexit vote. It was greater in percentage terms than the English. It would appear that in May, Reform UK, if they do not win the most seats in Wales, a big probability, they will at least be the main opposition party.
In Scotland at the moment Reform UK are second in the opinion polls, and Holyrood will look very different on May 8.
What are all these Scots and Welsh doing voting for a supposed English Nationalist Party? The truth is, as Bernard Ponsonby, former STV political editor, said in a recent podcast: "No English Nationalist Party would get 26% of the vote in a by-election in Hamilton."
The threat to the Union is not Nigel Farage, it's unionists losing their nerve. It's the fact that no unionist seat at the general election had a turnout of over 60%.
Despite pressure not to do so from those who want to see an end to Northern Ireland, at the last census 31% alone or in combination identified as Northern Irish, up from 29% in 2011.
If unionism was able to significantly tap into this ever increasing number, Northern Ireland would be here for good!
Ian Fawley, Southport