A Letter from Ireland
a Chara,
Regular readers will know that I am a passionate advocate for Irish Unity. A believer that we in Ireland will not meet our economic potential, reconcile our people, or build a republic of equal citizens while our island remains divided.
In many ways, the question of why Irish unity is clearly answered: partition has failed on every metric. Less understood is how Ireland will be united.
In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was struck. It is an agreement between both the Irish and British Governments, incorporated into law in both jurisdictions, bound by international law..
It was endorsed by all major parties, except the now-largest pro-partition party, the Democratic Unionist Party. In subsequent referendums, it was passed in the North of Ireland with 71% support and in the South with 94%in favor. By any measure, the Good Friday Agreement is the will of the Irish Nation.
The path to constitutional change and Irish unity is a matter of international law, political agreement, and the will of the people.
The Agreement recognises the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination, as measured by Unity Referendums North and South. If a simple majority in both jurisdictions votes to unite, the British Government is obliged to legislate and request sovereignty for a newly united Ireland.
There are three provisions relating to the calling of referendums:
1) Both governments retain the right to call referendums in their jurisdictions at any time. (This was recognised by David Trimble, who negotiated the Agreement in 2002, when he called for a British referendum to resolve the issue. A call that was ignored by the British Government).
2) The British Secretary of State must call a referendum when it appears likely that a majority in the North would support unity. This provision was to ensure that there could be no indefinite refusal to deny a vote.
3) There cannot be a subsequent referendum within seven years of a previous one.
The right to referendums is agreed; it is now a simple matter of the process of implementation. A democratic imperative to put the question to the people: Is the future one of continued division or of unity?
The optimal approach, one that would be true to the partnership between the governments that underpins the agreement, would be for both governments to agree on a date, a process, and a question for the referendums.
The current British Government’s position is to stall and frustrate a unity referendum. However, a future government led by Nigel Farage might want to spring a referendum on the North for his own narrow English nationalist political reasons.
The position of the Irish Government should be clear, regardless. Irish Unity is in the national interest. It is a constitutional imperative and is the will of the vast majority of the Irish nation.
It is simply good governance to plan for the future, to build the case for unity, to push the British government to implement the agreement, and to be prepared for any future government.
Planning and preparing for the future is the role of a responsible government.
The pathway to unity is agreed; it is legislated for; it must now become Irish Government policy. Anything less is an abandonment of duty, an undermining of the Agreement and an abdication of leadership.
Have a great weekend,
