Unionists should focus on scrapping Northern Ireland Protocol, not who is first minister

Unionism is making a mistake by implying it won’t or mightn’t accept a Sinn Fein first minister.

There is no more of a moral issue to serving alongside a Sinn Fein first minister than there is any other post in the executive.

If they aren’t fit to be first minister then they aren’t fit for any post.

Most unionist parties accept the need for power sharing with Sinn Fein if devolution is to work. Trying to say one post is out of bounds is simply implying we won’t accept the outcome of an election.

There is an issue as to whether Sinn Fein would use the symbolism of such a post to undermine Northern Ireland but that is really a more fundamental question as to whether devolution generally any longer serves the unionist interest.

It’s not really about whether Sinn Fein has the right to hold the post if they win enough votes.

Those unionists who already take part in power sharing should concede they will accept a Sinn Fein first minister if they win sufficient votes but should instead make clear that devolution under any first minister cannot continue while the protocol is in place.

It is clear that the level of progress required by unionists is so far off that any unionist who is sincere about not returning to the executive while it is in place would have to admit that the Stormont executive is down for a significant period of time as from the unionist perspective the whole deal needs to go back to the drawing board.

To my mind unionism is best making a purely democratic case that Northern Ireland cannot be half in and half out of the UK.

It should argue if there is some doubt about Northern Ireland’s status then let us have a border poll on the basis that the outcome will be respected and that if NI votes to stay in the UK then its trade border must go where its political border exists.

In return unionists must respect the outcome of assembly elections and if that means a Sinn Fein first minister so be it.

It would be interesting to see if a Sinn Fein first minister would serve in circumstances were a trade border existed in Ireland having criticised the DUP/TUV and PUP for refusing to support the current executive.

Mr RG McDowell, Belfast BT5