Twelfth 2026: True Britishness is about civil and religious liberty for all - Mervyn Gibson tells Orange
Not everyone may don a sash or enjoy the sound of a Lambeg drum, but true Britishness has a place for everyone under the Glorious Revolution’s principle of civil and religious liberty for all, the Orange Order grand secretary has said.
Mervyn Gibson also said that unionists who had gone to the Alliance Party “need to be welcomed home”.
He was speaking at the Twelfth demonstration in the market town of Kilrea, Co Londonderry yesterday.
Addressing the crowd at the field, Mr Gibson said: “We need to better promote the strengths and benefits of the Union to our neighbours.
“We need to share those realities with ethnic communities, undecided voters, apathetic voters, non-voters, the younger demographic who identity as constitutionally neutral, those of differing faiths or none and even soft nationalists.
“Those unionists who thought that the Alliance Party was the answer need to be welcomed home.
“Many of those we need to engage with may not enjoy the sound of the Lambeg or don a sash, but that’s the attraction of true Britishness, it embraces the principles of the Glorious Revolution and practices ‘Civil and Religious Liberty for all – special privileges for none’.
“We plan to write Andy Burnham, the prime minister in wating, to outline what we believe is best for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.
“Yes, there are challenges for the Union – we have three nationalist leaders in the devolved administrations and there are obvious political issues here in Northern Ireland.
“However, the answer can’t simply be the Sinn Fein mantra for all our ills – ‘Blame it on the Brits’. We deserve better, we deserve mature and sustainable solutions, we deserve politics which works.
“Will Andy Burnham listen? We don’t know – but Manchester is closer to Northern Ireland than Downing Street and his attitude could not be any worse than the current secretary of state.
“Hilary Benn has been a huge disappointment and our initial hopes for a fair hearing, and at least some action were soon dashed. He has been so inactive and aloof – he has almost been invisible.”
Over 50 private lodges and bands took part in the Kilrea Twelfth.