It is quite wrong to say that GB is losing interest in NI

The rally will be held in the large 3Arena. The actor Jimmy Nesbitt, who is of an Ulster Protestant background, is one of the public figures supporting the occasion, which has been organised by a lobbying group called Ireland’s Future.

These activists give the impression that a New Ireland is on offer, different from the old anti British one, and that a single independent Irish state has unstoppable momentum.

One politician from a non nationalist background in Northern Ireland who is attending, is Trevor Lunn, ex Alliance. He says: “I’m not convinced the British want us. I think they’ve almost had enough ... the attitude of the English people has changed ... They’ve lost the affinity for Northern Ireland, and I’m not sure it’s coming back.”

It is not surprising that Mr Lunn thinks this. Many people do.

The rise of Brexit, particularly in England, has at times seemed to be a sentiment that thinks little about the Celtic fringe. When people talk dismissively of English nationalism perhaps they should be more understanding: the Welsh have much reason to be proud of their country, the Scots do, and so do we Northern Irish. Then the English, who are the most numerous population on these islands, have played a huge role in world history and have just as much cause.

But a little noticed survey came out last week, the British Attitudes Survey. It shows that fears of an English retreat from affection for Northern Ireland are misplaced. In fact it is the other way round. People in Great Britain who support a united Ireland has dropped from 52% at the time of the Good Friday agreement in 1998 to 41% today. And 49% of them believe now that NI should be part of the UK, up from 26% in 1998.

This is on top of the census findings that 71% of people in NI do not feel Irish only. The Union is far from over. And as the UUP’s Tom Elliott says, it is time to hold conferences that hail its future and strengths — and invite nationalists to join in.