Northern Ireland could continue to exist in a united Ireland

If there was ever a vote for a United Ireland, the most peaceful and successful solution would be to leave things as close as possible to the current political structures.

I see no reason why the current assembly in Stormont could not remain in place as a regional assembly of the new country.

Both first and second ministers and the 90 MLAs could remain. The politicians at Stormont would still be able to control regional policies as they do now.

The people here could still maintain their Irish or British citizenship. The name Northern Ireland would still remain, but would be part of new country called the United Nation of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The main difference from current arrangements would be that the secretary of state and the person providing the large subsidy cheque would be from Dublin instead of London.

A UK embassy and permanent UK high commissioner could still reside in Hillsborough Castle and links to the Royal family could be maintained.

Huge financial backing would have to come from the US, UK and EU to help Northern Ireland transition to the euro and to guarantee the financial status quo of current citizens.

Any cultural changes would happen very slowly and would be handled with inclusivity, balance and sensitivity.

Our current 18 MPs would head down to the Dublin parliament, but would have a much better say than they currently have. The East-West links would be enhanced by the creation of an British-Irish Assembly with participation of representatives from Stormont, the Dail, the Scottish, Welsh and English assemblies.

Who knows what the future lies for us all, but if there is constitutional change, let’s all hope and pray it happens as peaceful as possible.

John McSorley, Belfast. BT5

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor