MEP warns against creeping Irish Unity process
21 April 2008
Statement by Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister:
“Now that nationalism has the process to deliver an all Ireland in place – namely, the harmonisation which flows from the Belfast Agreement – we are beginning to see greater boldness and articulation by pan nationalism of its unification agenda. The last few days have provided interesting insights.
We’ve had both Durkan and McGuinness rattling the unification sabre. Durkan, with closer alignment with Fianna Fail underway, has been talking about coming political change – indicating even he doesn’t accept the Belfast Agreement as a settlement, but as a staging post. McGuinness – who some foolishly told us had “bought into British rule” – has been making his agenda as deputy First Minister very clear. Last week he told an audience in the Guildhall, "The march towards Irish reunification is unstoppable. I have no doubt about that...There are unionists who believed that if you give power to nationalists it means the end of the union as they know it and they are absolutely right," he said.
Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams also told those at the meeting of the significant progress made for republicanism since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement: "We always said the Good Friday Agreement was…transitional. It has allowed us to develop our all-Ireland approach”, he said.
It is clear, therefore, that pan nationalism is exploiting the positions of governmental control given to them to assiduously and insidiously advance Irish unity. As more and more the all-island agenda unfolds under Belfast Agreement devolution, I believe increasingly unionists will come to recognize the creeping Irish unity process which I have constantly warned is underway.”
