John Manley, writing in today’s Irish News (the article is paywalled but if you are subscribed it is a recommended read) reports that former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urged greater nationalist co-operation in pursuit of unity…
“The former SDLP leader believes there is a need for a “common cause outside of narrow electoral contests” – a direct appeal to Sinn Féin to put rivalries aside in an effort to bring about constitutional change. He made the remarks at an event in Westminster on Tuesday night organised by Irish Border Poll, which also featured Sinn Féin MP Pat Cullen on the panel.”
Before anyone begins seeing the makings of a true Pan-Nationalist front here, Eastwood was emphasising that his call was related solely to pushing the argument for Irish reunification rather than any kind of electoral pact (suggestions of which the SDLP has a track record of opposing). It will be interesting to see not only what Sinn Féin makes of his call for greater co-operation in this field, but also what his party leader Claire Hanna makes of it. Hanna was a notable voice of opposition to the SDLP’s attempts at aligning with Fianna Fáil and even thought about establishing a new party had that partnership resulted in a formal merger though ultimately the whole petered out as a bit of a damp squib. Eastwood argued during the evening that nationalism’s increasing electoral strength could hand it the leverage to secure a border poll at some point in the coming years.
Speaking of Fianna Fáil, Eastwood also implicitly criticised Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin and other southern politicians who seem to be favouring reconciliation between the communities in Northern Ireland as a prerequisite for reunification.
The Foyle MP said he had been “fairly frustrated at some of the noises coming from Dublin”.I’m very much frustrated by the way the legacy of John Hume and Seamus Mallon has been co-opted by some people who don’t want to talk about the unification of this country,” he said. “In all of the conversations I had with those two men, not once did they say it’s the unity of the people instead of the unity of the country.”
The phrase ‘unity of people’ is one that the Taoiseach has used in the past. Many northern nationalists are frustrated by the idea as it seems to place an insurmountable bar in the way of reunification (and paradoxically it could be argued, hands Unionists a reason NOT to pursue reconciliation) but others have long defended Martin’s approach as not only realistic, but the only way to make Irish unification actually work.
It will be interesting to see whether Eastwood’s efforts, and indeed the efforts of former Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, help to steer the conversation on the constitutional question.
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