Unionists need to look outside Northern Ireland for allies to their cause

It is not necessary to be a committed Northern Ireland unionist to make a case for the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In fact, I sometimes think the biggest enemy of the Union are unionists themselves; especially when unionists of various hues engage in public virtue signalling to impress their Northern Ireland unionist constituency.

It is a pity these virtue signallers don’t make the same effort to engage with people outside of the unionist community i.e the EU.

Brexit has brought this time honoured Northern Ireland tendency to the fore.

For instance, the current fixation of certain unionists regarding the participation of their political nemesis’ in US St Patrick’s day parades.

Also, unionist apologists should stop shouting at one another, and or, their fellow non-unionists.

Doing so, is to go around in circles of negative emotion and negative argumentation; it confuses people, particularly people outside of Northern Ireland; for instance, in Europe and the US.

The former has a crucial role in determining the resolution of the Brexit dilemma.

For example, Germany and France.

As I see it, there is really only one argument favouring Northern Ireland continuing as a full part of the UK in the context of Brexit.

It is that presently Northern Ireland is a constituent part of the UK, and the UK wishes to exit the EU as a full and undiminished union.

If unionists could take their eyes away from enthrallment with their unionist navel buttons and look outside Northern Ireland, they will see that European countries within the EU could become allies to their cause.

Example; Alsace Lorraine has been shuttlecocked between France and Germany over the centuries.

If someone took the trouble, not necessarily a unionist, Northern Ireland could be explained to France and Germany in a similar context.

There are other EU countries with a similar story to Northern Ireland; they too, I believe, can be won round.

Micheal O’Cathail, Fermanagh