The solution for unionists is to arrive at a genuine accommodation with nationalists

Congratulations to Sam McBride for his excellent article on the failure of unionist diplomacy (March 20, see link below).

It would have been more apposite to describe it as a total absence of diplomacy.

At school I was impressed by Aesop’s fable of the bet between the wind and the sun as to who could remove a man’s coat.

We all know that the force employed by the wind was a poor second to the persuasion of the sun. The solution, which is under their noses,is to arrive at a genuine accommodation with nationalists, instead of implacable hostility masked by a feigned tolerance.

Of course the same equally applies to Sinn Fein in their approach to unionists.

Unionists may feel that they are in ‘an abusive domestic relationship’ what with the NI Protocol being forced on them by the UK government and the abortion fiasco.

The UK government knows that unionists have nowhere to go and will not leave.

Some loyalists are suggesting that the DUP should topple the executive.

This would be a very dangerous option because patience is at a very low ebb in the UK with Northern Ireland, compounded by resentment at a very generous subvention.

it is not beyond credibility for the UK government to call a referendum on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position and extend participation in the plebiscite to the whole of the UK. If that ever happens then beware.

Time to offer constructive alternatives rather than huffing and puffing. This may be uncomfortable reading but nevertheless needs to be acknowledged if progress is to be made.

Gerard O’Boyle, Devon

• Sam McBride: A failure of unionist diplomacy has left it more isolated than for decades

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