Unionist MLAs should do what they can to frustrate the Irish Sea border

The immediate threat to the Union is posed by the Irish Sea border and Kirk McDowell (August 1) makes the case for unionist resignation en bloc from the assembly to force its collapse and re-negotiation of the Irish Sea protocol.
By Letters
Published 3rd Aug 2020, 18:43 BST
Updated 3rd Aug 2020, 19:13 BST
The assembly is part of the plan for a united Ireland but in the short term it could be used tactically to apply pressure on our national government over arrangements to operate checks at our portsThe assembly is part of the plan for a united Ireland but in the short term it could be used tactically to apply pressure on our national government over arrangements to operate checks at our ports
The assembly is part of the plan for a united Ireland but in the short term it could be used tactically to apply pressure on our national government over arrangements to operate checks at our ports

(His letter can be read here: ‘If unionist politicians have the principles of the late Ian Gow MP, they would be prepared to sacrifice their career for the Union’)

This is a position I have taken in the past as the so-called peace process and its creature the Northern Ireland Assembly are instruments designed to take us into a united Ireland and in operating these institutions unionists are working to bring about their own destruction as the direction of travel of the past 30 years proves conclusively.

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However I suggest that in the short term the assembly should and could be used tactically to apply pressure on our national government as the executive / assembly has a central role in setting up the arrangements to operate the checks which would be required at our ports.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

This central role is clear from the evidence given to the Committee for the Executive on May 13 by Sinn Fein minister Declan Kearney.

He told the committee that the London government has “confirmed that it will urgently put in place detailed plans with the executive, which does include the physical posts at ports of entry”.

This raises the immediate question: are so-called unionists from the DUP or UUP currently engaged in putting in place “detailed plans” to facilitate an Irish Sea border which separates us from the rest of the United Kingdom?

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I trust that they are not, or they would be unworthy to bear the name ‘unionist’.

And if they are not, will they act as any true unionist would and frustrate these plans with all means at their disposal in the executive and assembly as part of a campaign to keep us fully within the United Kingdom?

In either case, could they do us the long-suffering unionist electorate, the courtesy of answering these questions and also telling us how they plan to effectively resist and confound the Irish Sea border?

Philip Black, Lurgan, Craigavon

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Related topics:Irish SeaDeclan KearneyNorthern IrelandUnited Kingdom