Unionists have in effect been squabbling over a diminishing share of the cake. They often appear to be largely oblivious of this reality.
• Improve the quality of unionist electoral organisation
• Improve voter registration
• Provide people with a reason to vote unionist.
Please discuss these key issues (preferably without turning it into another ‘squabble’).
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F_D,
I’ve been discussing this thread with friends (some more committed to nationalist ideals than myself), and we’ve concluded that the best inroad for unionists into the nationalist family – in our considered opinion – is through the social conservatism angle.
I know a lot of people – my parents for a start – who are resolutely anti-abortion, pro-marriage and anti-cohabiting, uncomfortable – to put it mildly – with gay marriage, all for ‘decency’, and – as people who’ve worked their backs in all their lives, opposed to those who they now see ‘living on benefits’ while there is plenty of work around for those who want it.
They are very, very in favour of a strong law and order response to crime – now that the troubles have ended.
And they are unhappy with SF/SDLP pronouncements on all of these issues.
I know one person who goes a shade of purple when SF talk about ‘police heavy-handedness’- and they vote Sinn Fein!!!
Most, but not all, of these people (my parents included) are not only very religious and but are very respecting of those with religious faith.
It is, in their eyes, and I suppose they are of an older generation, a mark of ‘decency’.
I would say, as an extension of my view that as soon as the word unionist fails to be a factor in voting choices (as it surely will) these are the type of people unionists should target.
And I can detect in the DUP election literature and from some of their public pronouncements, that they are starting to send feelers out in this direction.
Of course, the flip side of the coin is that left wing bleeding hearts and radicals from the Protestant/Unionist community will start to gravitate toward SF and/or the SDLP.
So tell me, I take it from your handle you’re a DUPer, am I right?
It’s a fair strategy to be honest.
GN:
“the best inroad for unionists into the nationalist family – in our considered opinion – is through the social conservatism angle.”
That’s thoroughly depressing. And I think you underestimate the repellence of SF to unionists – though I can see the lefties/liberals floating to SDLP if they stop trying to out-green Sinn Fein (and those candidates who don’t go to odd lengths to avoid uttering the term “Northern Ireland” won’t do themselves any harm either).