Trevor Ringland: Unionists should stop arguing and start promoting Northern Ireland's benefits
A letter from Trevor Ringland:
In his article in the News Letter (The DUP told lies on an industrial scale about their contacts with SF, August 12), Sir Reg Empey was justifiably angry about the DUP’s treatment of the UUP in the past.
Newly released government files reveal that, during the early 2000s, Ian Paisley’s party was in discussions with Sinn Fein. Just as it was launching some of its most bitter attacks on Ulster Unionists for doing the same thing. Undoubtedly, more stories like this could come out and cause similar anger.
Perhaps, facilitated by the News Letter, the unionist political parties and their supporters need to have a release of frustration about events from the past.
The DUP would eventually sign the St Andrews Agreement, bringing it into government with Sinn Fein, and personally I felt the details of those negotiations caused many of the problems we subsequently experienced. There are others who would disagree.
Importantly, we should quickly move on from that discussion and concentrate on how political parties can play a more constructive role in promoting Northern Ireland and its place in the Union.
Many younger politicians are not tainted by the intra-unionist arguments of the past. They are better placed to deal with everyday issues without that baggage.
Despite an over-heated debate about the constitution, most people here appreciate what Northern Ireland has to offer. The NI Life and Times Survey of 2023 showed that 79% of our population are happy with the current arrangements.
They realise it’s a great place to live in, work in and invest in, with genuinely friendly people and beautiful surroundings. Unlike many parts of the world, our young people can also generally afford to buy a home.
There are challenges, but many of those could be solved. After a week or so of arguing, it would be worth turning our attentions back to unionism’s real work of promoting Northern Ireland’s benefits and maximising the potential of our relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom, and across this island and beyond.
Trevor Ringland, Bangor