Unionists are wrong to see things through an all Ireland lens rather than an islands wide one

Owen Polley (‘Devolution is a disaster for the Union and has always been,’ August 16) writes that “some of the most basic aspects of our place in the United Kingdom have been diluted to placate nationalists”.

How can he be so sure that the intention is to placate nationalists for all time?

To suggest this so is to talk unionist politicians into continuing to seeing things through an ‘all Ireland lens’ rather than a lens that views archipelago wide.

Who would have thought in 1949 with Eamon de Valera and his notoriously sectarian after Sunday Mass chapel gate collection, to fund another campaign to end partition, that in 1965 his successor, Sean Lemass, would be travelling to Stormont to meet Terence O’Neill, a first step towards a Free Trade plus subsidy for the ailing cattle farmers with the United Kingdom?

It was the end of separatism even if covered over (something Dublin is good at) by the drummed up celebrations of the ‘1916’ celebration the following year.

WA Miller, Belfast BT13

Owen Polley: Devolution is a disaster for the Union and has always been

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