SNP Faces Setback as Unionist Parties Gain Ground in Scotland .

• Northern Ireland Nationalists Stagnate, Only 26% Support for United Ireland in Latest Poll .
• Rising Catholic Unionism: 21% of Northern Irish Catholics Favours UK Union .
• Together UK Foundation: Advocating for the Benefits of Remaining in the United Kingdom .
• Irish Parliament’s Push for Unification Referendum Ignores Belfast Agreement’s Consent Principle

It has not been a fun year for the forces of separatism in the United Kingdom. In the recent general election, the SNP have been pushed firmly back by the unionist parties in Scotland and in Northern Ireland nationalist parties failed again to increase their share of the electorate beyond 40%

Despite all the pressure for a Border poll in Northern Ireland and all the airtime given to its proponents, a recent poll in the Dublin based Irish Times, showed that only 26% of respondents in Northern Ireland would vote for a United Ireland if such a poll were called. Of those who would vote for staying in the United Kingdom 21% of the respondents were Northern Irish Catholics. This is an important statistic because for decades lazy commentators have equated religious designation with support for a political objective i.e., if you are a brought up in the Protestant faith you will be a unionist and if you are a catholic you will support a United Ireland.

As one of my fellow board members from my pro-union Foundation Together UK has said, Northern Ireland is the only place in Europe where your political opinion is determined by where you were baptised as a baby – and off course it is simply not true. Many who have been brought up in the Catholic tradition believe in the United Kingdom and the benefits they receive from it. They may not be “red, white and blue” unionists like me, but they are unionists none the less; some for economic reasons, some for cultural and political reasons and some for social reasons.

But despite reasons to be cheerful for those of who believe in the United Kingdom, be under no illusion that those who want to destroy the UK will not fade quietly into the background. Absolutely not. If the nationalist press is anything to go by, they take defeats and down turns and use them to energise themselves for the next onslaught. That is why those who believe in the United Kingdom must work together and speak to the benefits of the UK instead of just assuming everybody understands. That is the reason I have started Together UK Foundation –  to do just that.

The spin doctors in Sinn Fein took retaining their seats in Northern Ireland as an indication of victory even though before the election their embattled leader Mary Lou McDonald said they were nailed on for gains.

Then this week the grandly titled Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement of the Irish Parliament, launched a report which said the Irish Government should plan for a referendum on constitutional change and prepare for Irish unification immediately.

The arrogance and ignorance in this report is just staggering. This joint committee of both houses in the Republic of Ireland’s parliament have ignored the fundamental principal of the Belfast Agreement of 1998, namely the principle of consent. To his credit David Trimble when he was negotiating the Belfast Agreement had achieved recognition that Northern Ireland was and would remain part of the United Kingdom until the people of Northern Ireland decided otherwise and the Republic of Ireland amended their constitution to deal with articles 2 and 3 which lay claim to Northern Ireland as part of their geographical territory. This was something which the EU never challenged even though it was contrary to International law.

It appears that the Irish parliament committee only takes the parts of the Belfast Agreement which they like and forget about the bits which are inconvenient.

It was always and still is a challenge to the implementation of the agreement, that for nationalists and republicans it was a route map to a so-called United Ireland where for the rest of us it was meant to be a settlement – a Northern Ireland at peace with herself. That chasm of understanding and interpretation is what has caused so much difficulty in our politics over this past 25 years. It’s not just making the agreement which is important but how it is interpreted for years to come – peace makers around the world I am sure acknowledge that.

Those of us who are unionists and believe in the UK as a diverse home for all must keep our wits about us and continue to put forward its positivity. We certainly cannot rest on our laurels as even those in the Irish parliament try to force our hand, despite the opinion polls and despite the election results. My response – no thanks.