Party mergers are not as attractive as they seem
Should the Ulster Unionists finally federate with the Conservatives and the SDLP with Fianna Fail? In each case in their present state of eclipse, the prospect of becoming part of a bigger machine must be sorely tempting. Below the surface however lurk huge problems. Unionists like Sylvia Hermon are sturdy individualists and want to remain big beasts in the local zoo. For the SDLP the attractions may at first glance be clearer, but who’s rushing to vote Fianna Fail these days? The plight of the Dublin government shows how local politicians would be placed at the mercy of events beyond their control. My objections to mergers are two fold. Nationalists looking to Dublin and Unionists to London risk widening the sectarian divide at a time when it desperately needs to be narrowed. And two, it throws into confusion what people are voting for. Was it for this that people bravely carried the torch for local democracy for the past thirty years, only to surrender to an informal form of joint authority between London and Dublin, depending on who’s in power in the national capitals? Only if the London and Dublin parties knocked local heads together would mergers be justfied. But haven’t they tried to do that already? And given the obsessive localism of our politics, wouldn’t the DUP and Sinn Fein look even better for continuing to stand on their own two feet?
Northern whig
“GB Labour’s constitutional position since its foundation has been Irish unity by consent”
1. The Labour party was founded 21 years before partition.
2. IIRC Unity by consent was dropped by Labour in October 1994.
FD,
Thanks for that. My understanding is that even before the foundation of the Labour party Liberal endorsed trade-union candidates supported Liberal Home Rule policy and that throughout its existence the Labour Party had declined to challenge the franchise of local, independence or (later) unity inclined social-democratic parties.
I also think I remember the admission of Northern Irish members to the GB Labour only came after threats of action against the party for discrimination.
I can’t see a Labour Party organising candidates in competition with SDLP candidates which is why I think the way forward might be for all parties not entirely devoted to identity politics to accept that MLA designation should be a matter of conscience.
That said I’m not sure what my own party’s position would be on an MLA who declined the “united community” designation and chose either Nationalist or Unionist.
Any idea Comrade?
“I can’t see a Labour Party organising candidates in competition with SDLP candidates which is why I think the way forward might be for all parties not entirely devoted to identity politics to accept that MLA designation should be a matter of conscience. ”
The Irish Labour Party’s approach is one of whilst the SDLP is a sister party they won’t go electoral. If a McDonnell led SDLP left the Socialist Group then the ILP would have a number of the SDLP refugees taking up membership including a few elected reps.
The British Labour Party has fought bitterly through the courts to stop membership and organisation. While the SDLP as it is presently constituted will not go for a UUP/Tory type alliance with UK Labour, a Northern Irish section of the Irish Labour Party would almost certainly link with the UK Labour Party in the same way as the UUP/Tory alliance.
It would be a question of whether the SDLP will leave the Party of European Socialists (not necessarily having to merge with Fianna Fail). That forces the ILP to take in SDLP refugees and in turn seeek and alliance with their British sister party.
The SDLP as is presently exists with its Nationalist/Fianna Fail wing won’t touch the British Labour Party as regards an alliance. The Irish Labour Party’s view would be very very different
Eric, interesting thoughts. Ideally though some deal between the two Labour parties would result in a single pooled-membership constituency structure rather than two parallel ones (as in the duplicative UCUNF structure)?
“Eric, interesting thoughts. Ideally though some deal between the two Labour parties would result in a single pooled-membership constituency structure rather than two parallel ones (as in the duplicative UCUNF structure)? ”
I dunno. An initial defection from the SDLP would have Irish Labour with a some cllrs and a couple of MLAs. UK Labour, like the Tories to an extent just have members (I know the Tories have picked up a few cllrs since)so initially the structure might be very similar to the UUP/Tory one. That said you can be a member of both Labour Parties as it stands.
British Labour is a very reluctant entrant on the NI scene, whilst Irish Labour won’t want to foot the Bill. With the ILP Stickie lead, they have more time for the UK Labour Party than the SDLP and would be “Post Nationalist” in outlook. However the financial imperative for joining forces with the UK Labour Party would be as strong as the ideological outlook
But as long as the SDLP stays in the Party of European Socialists, niether Labour Party will be pro-active in the matter.