My party is neither pro nor anti-Union: we are just ‘Alliance’

Perhaps the penny is finally dropping for Harry Patterson (‘What upsets Alliance is unionists showing unity’, Letters, February 12) – Alliance is not a unionist party.

But nor indeed are we a nationalist party.

We are Alliance.

It is precisely this kind of narrow thinking from some, seeing anyone who isn’t explicitly ‘with them’ as the enemy, that is holding Northern Ireland back, while turning many off in despair from engaging in the political process.

While the only poll which matters is election day, Mr Patterson will likely be aware of a number of recent surveys which repeatedly show the issues which really matter to people are the health service, the rising cost of living and recovery from the pandemic.

Alliance will continue concentrating on these and other important issues, not people’s position for a hypothetical border poll or where lines are drawn on a map. I’d urge Mr Patterson and others obsessed with Alliance’s constitutional views to do the same.

Michael Long, Alliance councillor, Belfast

More opinion:

Click here: This is no time for unionist weakness on the Irish Sea border

Click here: The RUC did not help in the aftermath of the McGurk’s bar bomb

Click here: Ruth Dudley Edwards: Doug Beattie’s engagement policy gets a boost from Alliance

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