It is a long time since I have contributed anything to this site. I was once a daily reader, commenter and active participant, but the gradually over the last few years for various reasons I have become quite sickened by Northern Ireland Politics, I became disinterested and apathetic towards politics and to be honest focused my energy on interests elsewhere.
The result of the EU referendum has changed that. I sat up all night watching the results come in from across England and Scotland. Results that will undoubtedly change my and my children’s futures. Each result declared for leave came like a punch in the gut. The sickening feeling of utter helplessness as England ignored the experts, the logic and voted for a smoke and mirror show that was promised to end immigration and “give them their country back.” Whatever that is supposed to mean. I am not going to go into the rights and wrongs of the argument that has been explained in great detail elsewhere however…
For years middle class moderate nationalists have been content there lot within a post good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland. Their main desires of Peace, stability, equal opportunities in the work place, proper access to health care, access to education and state recondition of their right to be Irish, in the cultural and aspirational sense were largely catered for.
The visibility and relevance of the border has been eroded to almost invisibility over the last number of years. There has been the comfort blanket of knowing that both jurisdictions on this island were in fact member of a larger institution the EU An overarching body that insured that everything from industrial standards, to agricultural policy were essentially the same across this island. That had pushed the constitutional issue on this Island from top priority to aspirational nice to have.
That comfort blanket is now gone and the prospect of living the rest of our lives in a rump UK governed by successive tory governments after the scots have managed to get things together and leave is looming hard and ominous. I for one do not want my future to be beholden to political decisions that have more to do with internal squabbles within the tory party than my or this countries interests. Almost everyone I have talked to in the South Down and South Armagh area over the weekend is feeling very similar. Angry, frustrated and re-politicised.
Whatever about the prospect of a border poll I think that this has awakened the sleeping Nationalist middle class in The north and if we as Nationalists can’t finally start getting our act together, getting the vote out and coming up with a cohesive workable way forward to achieve an alternative to this catastrophe we deserve what we get.
From South down but living in South Armagh. Wouldn’t be super knowledgeable on politics but have opinions none the less