Irish langauge act could ‘re-sectarianise’ Northern Ireland claims unionist duo

David McNarry and David Campbell’s joint statement comes amid concerns that the Tory government in Westminster still plans to press ahead with enacting such legislation from London, over the heads of unionists in the Stormont Assembly.

Three weeks ago, the London government said in a statement: “It is disappointing that the Executive has not progressed legislation to deliver the balanced identity, language and culture package as agreed in the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

“This legislation will recognise Northern Ireland’s rich diversity.

“In accordance with this government’s commitments, and in the absence of progress on this matter, we will take the necessary steps to introduce the legislation through the UK Parliament.”

Mr McNarry and Mr Campbell were both special advisors to former first minister David Trimble; the former is an ex-UUP then Ukip MLA, and the latter currently heads up the Loyalist Communities Council, a body which brings together loyalists with links to the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando.

Their statement is in response to a report in the Irish News last week, which said Michelle O’Neill expects Irish language legislation to be tabled at Westminster within weeks, and an Irish language commissioner with enforcement powers to be in post by next March.

Their statement said an Irish act would represent just the latest “onslaught” upon the “long-suffering unionist people”.

It said: “If Her Majesty’s Government tables legislation as described by Michelle O’Neill then it will be in breach of the Belfast Agreement commitments on language and culture – commitments that were approved by referendum and faithfully implemented and funded by ministers whether unionist or nationalist.

“The Belfast Agreement commitments were predicated on the ‘appropriate demand’ safeguard that ensured that Irish language acolytes had full use and enjoyment of

their language but that those not interested in that minority language would not have its use forced upon them.

“It is an absolute minimum requirement that the Belfast Agreement protections are written into the face of any language Bill, either at Stormont or Westminster otherwise we face potential chaos.

“In the past year unionism has had to fight to ensure the core guarantees of the Belfast Agreement are equally enforceable for unionism as they are for nationalism.

“The current campaign against the NI Protocol will hopefully succeed and return us to the position of primacy of the Principle of Consent for both traditions. “That same principle must apply to all other aspects of the Agreement, including language and culture.”

They said Sinn Fein remain “anti-British” adding that “unionism welcomed them into the sharing of power here and we have repeatedly been deceived and taken for fools”.

The statement concludes: “We call on HMG to urgently confirm that their proposed legislation will conform with the ‘appropriate demand’ safeguards of the Belfast Agreement, and we seek the assurances of the main unionist parties that they will not support or tolerate any deviation from those safeguards.

“Government cannot afford to gamble with Unionist opinion.

“The Protocol has already caused the loyalist groupings to suspend their support for the Belfast Agreement.

“Opinion polls show broad unionist support for the Agreement and the Institutions to be at an all-time low.

“If a further anti-Unionist breach is perpetrated by our own Government to appease the unappeasable ie Sinn Fein, then it is hard to see how the Agreement or the Assembly can continue.”

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