Irish Unity Solution to Brexit Chaos - Sinn Féin Vice-President Michelle O’Neill
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INTERNATIONAL May-September 2019 Irish Unity solution to Brexit chaos - Sinn Féin Vice-President Michelle O’Neill SINN Féin organised a public debate, ‘Brexit, the Good Friday Agreement and Irish Unity’ in Brighton, at a fringe meeting of the British Labour party’s annual conference. The room was at maximum capacity with attendees spilling out into the corridor, demonstrating the marked increase in interest in the case for Irish unity. This event was chaired by Sinn Féin MP, Mickey Brady, with other panelists including, Stephen Pound MP, Labour’s Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the north of Ireland and commentator and journalist Dawn Foster. Addressing the event Sinn Féin’s Vice President, Michelle O’Neill, said a no deal Brexit is incompatible with the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ and if it occurs then a referendum on Irish Unity offers the only solution. Michelle O’Neill said: “A no deal Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement are mutually incompatible. It’s as simple as that. “There is a deal on the table and it includes the Irish backstop which must Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill pictured at the British Labour party’s annual be maintained as an insurance policy and conference guarantee to protect peace, jobs and the all-Ireland economy and structures. seriously questioning whether there are Irish reunification the North would “In the event of a no deal Brexit, any merits of staying within the union automatically rejoin the EU. however, a referendum on a united Ireland after Brexit. “People are coming to the Irish Unity is an obvious option which must be on the “The Good Friday Agreement provides conversation not to become republicans table. a peaceful democratic pathway to Irish and nationalists, but to remain Europeans “There is a growing sense that Unity. - and the opportunity to stay in the circumstances are now rapidly changing “The issue of Irish Unity has taken on European Union, through separation from which will inevitably lead to the final a new dynamic because of Brexit. This Britain. break-up of the current constitutional cannot be ignored. “It can no longer be dismissed as a pipe structures. “The political momentum is moving in dream. “People from across this society, that direction. “Not only is this possible, but it is even those of a British identity, are now “The EU has said in the event of inevitable in the time ahead.” @SFIntDept www.sinnfein.ie @sinnfeininternational INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN PAGE 2 2019 SINN FÉIN AWAY DAY SInn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald’s address A Chairde, nightmare. Brexit is a very English problem the consequences of September is a time for which must not be shifted onto refocusing. A time for Ireland. recommitting. A time for thinking As the 31st of October about the future we want to approaches and the pressure build. September is also a time mounts, neither An Taoiseach nor for renewal. Renewing our Michael Barnier can be blink in politics and activism. Renewing the face of Tory intransigence. our bonds of comradeship and Too much is at stake. togetherness. Renewing our Despite Mr Johnson’s claims determination to realise the goals to the contrary, the path he of those republicans who pointed is following would lead to the the way forward. reimposition of a hard border. Sinn Féin is working to deliver The British Prime Minister for all our citizens. It is not always needs to hear this: that the Irish easy. Things don’t always go the people will not allow our country, way we hope. But republicans are our communities, and our about the bigger picture. We can economy to be vandalised. take the hard knocks and face the There can be no return of a bad days. It is how we deal with hard border, no customs checks, the setbacks that defines us. no more division on this island After the recent elections, to suit the needs of British across every parish in Ireland we governments that has no interest went out and engaged with our Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD addresses activists in Ireland’s future. members, our supporters and at the Sinn Féin Away Day at Carrickcarnon. The Good Friday Agreement, those who voted for us and those the Irish people’s agreement, who did not. And I want to say to must be defended at all costs. you that we heard what you said The Backstop, the Irish people’s and we are acting on it. insurance policy, remains the We should never underestimate bottom-line, the very minimum the scale of our cause – realising needed to protect our economic the republic. This is a big, big job interests. We understand acutely we have undertaken together. the importance of the Backstop. There are hundreds of Sinn Féin came up with the thousands of people across this solution when we proposed that island who choose Sinn Féin to the North should be designated represent them, to stand up for Special Status within the EU. them, to defend their rights and Despite the noisy rhetoric from their economic interests. They many quarters who said it believe in Sinn Féin. They trust in couldn’t be done, here we are Sinn Féin. today defending the Backstop to They know a better Ireland and the hilt. a brighter future is possible. It is The bottom-line guarantees in our job to deliver and we will not the Backstop cannot be bartered let them down not now, not ever. away. It is our job to change the course The future of our peace, of of Irish history so that prosperity our society and of our all island can be enjoyed by the many, not economy demands the political the few. Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD and Sinn Féin resolve and leadership to see Vice-President Michelle O’Neill at the Away Day in Carrickcarnon. Ireland’s interests upheld. BREXIT which we live. Our island faces be readily cast aside. It is time its greatest threat and challenge to call Mr Johnson’s fantasy what ELECTIONS And history is unfolding in in a generation. British Prime it is – profoundly stupid and profound and dramatic ways all Minister Boris Johnson follows a immeasurably dangerous. Brexit will also shape the around us. fantasy in which the rights and Mr Johnson’s stupid, dangerous context of forthcoming elections. Brexit is shaping the times in interests of the Irish people can fantasy cannot become Ireland’s The prospect of a Westminster @SFIntDept www.sinnfein.ie @sinnfeininternational INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN PAGE 3 2019 SINN FÉIN AWAY DAY SInn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald’s address Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD with a group of Sinn Féin representatives at the Away Day in Carrickcarnon. Election grows by the day. away during the circus of the last Policies that will make division - a future in which all our In all likelihood there will be fortnight. people’s lives better by ending communities can move forward a General Election in the South If Fianna Fáil feel differently, the rip-off and lifting the burden together. sometime in the next six months let them contest the election on and stress caused by the housing I believe that preparations for and four by-elections. Sinn Féin a go-to-Westminster platform crisis and an economy that is Irish Unity must start now. It is is ready for all of these elections. and see how they get on. Sinn rigged against them – a platform the responsible thing to do. In the North, when an election Féin are abstentionists from that offer solutions. Irish Unity cannot be the is called, we will stand on a Westminster. project of Sinn Féin alone. strong, credible anti Brexit ticket. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael An Taoiseach and the Irish The DUP, for their part, will stand abstain from the North of IRISH UNITY government must become on a pro-Brexit platform. They Ireland. advocates for unity. must now know that they are We will not take lectures In all of these elections, Sinn I am very certain that the supporting an agenda that is set from the parties who looked Féin will continue to argue for ending of partition will only be on wrecking Ireland. Aligning the other way, who opted out Irish Unity as the best idea for achieved through the coming themselves with the politics of and who abandoned northern Ireland’s future. together of all strands of Irish London rather than with the nationalists. They won’t lecture Unity is the positive. society. The unity of our people, politics of our communities at us and they won’t lecture Unity is progressive. unity of purpose will deliver an home spells calamity northern nationalists. Unity is a chance to realign end to partition in our time. Sinn Féin will stand on an In the South, Brexit has Irish life to harness the vast This is the type of Ireland abstentionist ticket. provided political cover for the potential and the hopes of all envisaged by those who No Irish democrat, no genuine sham Confidence and Supply those who call Ireland home. signed the proclamation. A Irish republican would ever take government of Fine Gael and The folly of the Tory Brexit truly democratic Ireland – free a seat in the British Parliament Fianna Fáil. It is a government on has given a modern shape to a and united with equality of or swear an oath to the crown. its last legs, worn down by the historical imperative - to end citizenship. It was good idea in I understand that people want weight of PR spin, having failed the involvement of the British 1916.