We need an annual address on the state of our union of nations

The Union of the British is a union not of states but of nations and were such an address to be deemed appropriate and given not simply by the leader of majority opinion in England the benefits could be considerable.

An address to be given annually and rotating between all the nations of the British would enable a better perspective on the Union.

Were such an address to involve the leader of an Ireland reunited in a Union of countries that was acceptable to an Irish majority — a Federal Republic of the British Isles — the benefits could be even greater.

A union to reconcile nationalist opinion and unionist opinion throughout the isles would be the ambition of such an address.

If the Europeans of the mainland can realise such an ambition for 27 countries why not the Europeans of the isles offshore for four — England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland?

Richard Ede, Liverpool