There appears to be a distinct moderation in both the tone and substance of Martin Smyth’s latest statement to the Newsletter this morning.
Pointing out that he was one of the very first senior Unionists to publicly advocate early discussions with Sinn Fein, he went on to suggest that:
…in the debate since 1998 all critics have been labelled as ‘hardliners’, ‘dissidents’ or ‘rebels’ by the media and others. The difference between being anti-Belfast Agreement, which most unionists are, and being anti-agreement, which I believe most unionists are not, has been overlooked all too often. If the leadership moves from the line that only the will of the 54 per cent matters, we can move forward. But there must be realism that one side alone backing down will not resolve this dispute.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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