Ex-Ulster Unionist says Irish Unity has become ‘urgent necessity’ due to Brexit
SUPPORT for a united Ireland is mounting and we need to get ready, says former unionist BEN COLLINS.
Ahead of the publication of his book Irish Unity: Time to Prepare, the one-time Ulster Unionist Party worker tells how Brexit chaos convinced him constitutional change is now “an urgent necessity”.
SINCE the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, I have held a long term aspiration for Irish Unity.
It might be a surprise to some that, born and raised in east Belfast, I have a unionist and pro-British background.
All my life I have felt a mixture of both British and Irish.
I was aware of course of those who supported violence to achieve Irish unity and that position horrified me.
But the goal of unity itself is one that, through meeting many people and considering all the options, I have come to believe is in the best interests of us all.
And now, due to Brexit, I believe it has become an urgent necessity.
The votes of people in England and Wales meant Northern Ireland was taken out of the EU, despite its people voting to remain.
Brexit was a vote to put up barriers.
It is a chaotic process of dismantling an EU framework that provides individual equality rights, that allows diversity to flourish and maintains safeguards for wider society.
I believe that we all should look to the future and begin to plan and prepare.
During the summer I watched video clips of raw sewage being pumped into the sea around England and Wales, polluting their beaches.
Thankfully we have not experienced the same issues in Northern Ireland.
Yet the politicians who want this region to have the same Brexit deal as Britain are effectively arguing for the removal of EU environmental safeguards.
The Brexiteer rally cry of “taking back control” means deregulating and stripping out a range of standards wherever possible.
CLIMATE CRISIS IS NOT 'A DISTANT CLOUD'
Northern Ireland has a clear pathway to safeguarding these permanently and that is through Irish Unity.
Back in 2017 the European Council agreed unanimously that should Northern Ireland reunite with the rest of Ireland, the new state would automatically be an EU member.
There would be no accession process, just immediate acceptance of the entire island into the EU and access to all the benefits that come with it.
The climate crisis is not a distant cloud on the horizon.
'URGENT STEPS'
It is affecting us now and is likely to get significantly worse unless we take urgent steps to protect our environment.
Irish Unity will enable us to do this in a fully integrated way. Water and food security are key, achieved by maintaining standards.
The EU is reducing carbon emissions significantly over the long term.
This includes making substantial investment in transport infrastructure across the continent.
SOVEREIGNTY NOT ABOUT 'FLAG ON A POLE'
For me sovereignty isn’t about a flag on a pole, it’s about food on the table and a roof over your head.
Safe food is crucial and thanks to the Northern Ireland Protocol, the region maintains EU standards.
Yet in other parts of the UK the farming industry is having to compete with cheaper produce imported from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere thanks to rushed trade deals signed by the UK government.
The UK government, despite negotiating the protocol and passing it into domestic law, now seeks to unilaterally change it.
MAJORITY 'SUPPORT PROTOCOL'
At the same time, opinion polls show, as confirmed by the Northern Ireland Assembly election results in May, that a majority of people in Northern Ireland support the protocol.
It provides us with unique access to both the EU and UK markets which can help our economy grow.
The Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group which represents retail, hospitality, manufacturing, farming, transport and brewing interests supports the protocol.
At a time when inflation in the UK is predicted to rise above 18 per cent in January, we cannot afford the disruption and uncertainty for businesses or consumers.
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Ultimately the only way we can stop Northern Ireland being adversely affected by the decisions of others, is to embrace our European future through Irish Unity, as an EU member.
In that way our families can be assured of living in a place where environmental standards are protected and food quality is assured.'
