TOWARDS a UNITED IRELAND I Dtreo Éire Aontaithe Changing Views on Irish Unity Represent Historic Opportunity
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TOWARDS A UNITED IRELAND I dTreo Éire Aontaithe Changing views on Irish unity represent historic opportunity “A range of opinion polls in recent years have fairer and more progressive future for our confirmed a significant trend in rising support people. for Irish unity among citizens in the North. Now is the time for all of us who While opinion polls should always be treated believe a united Ireland will with caution, three important trends have been provide a better future - parties, discernible. community groups, trade unions, businesses and individuals - Firstly, there has been a consistent rise in the to work together to seize this proportion of people who say they would vote historic opportunity. for a united Ireland. We need to build popular support Secondly, this trend is most pronounced among for the demand for a referendum young people under 45 years-of-age. while also working patiently to convince those who disagree that And thirdly, the Brexit debacle is increasingly their interests will be represented shaping attitudes on this issue in the North, in a new Ireland, and that their voices with large numbers saying they are more likely will be heard and respected. to support Irish unity as a result of Brexit. The British and Irish governments must There now exists a historic opportunity for all now acknowledge changing attitudes and those of who support a united Ireland to act agree to hold a referendum on Irish unity together to win a referendum on Irish unity in so that the people can have their the near future, a right provided for under the say.” terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Brexit is clearly causing people to question the constitutional future of the North and encouraging support for an all-island economic, political and social framework. “Tá anois deis stairiúil ann dóibh siúd go The result of the recent Repeal the 8th referendum in the South has also influenced léir a thacaíonn le haontú na hÉireann attitudes in the North as it becomes clear that the North is being left further and further behind gníomhú le chéile le reifreann a bhaint when it comes to human rights. ar aontú na hÉireann go luath, ceart Sinn Féin has been organising conferences and engagements on the campaign for a referendum a ndéantar foráil dó faoi théarmaí on a United Ireland for many years now. But it is clear that many, many more people than those Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta.” of us in Sinn Féin are interested in building a MATT CARTHY MEP UNITED IRELAND CAMPAIGN SINN FÉIN TOWARDS A UNITED IRELAND I dTreo Éire Aontaithe MESSAGE FROM SINN FÉIN PRESIDENT MARY LOU McDONALD TD Shaping the future of our island requires open minds, fresh their experiences and to bring us closer together. thinking and bold action. A New Ireland must also be a place where women, where LGBT Irish Unity cannot be a crude exercise of simply stitching north citizens and where our new communities enjoy equality and to south and returning to business as usual. respect. We need to build a New Ireland. I want us to secure a referendum on Irish Unity in next five years. I believe that such a referendum can be won and won An Ireland in which rights are guaranteed, cultures respected, well. It now a matter of winning hearts and changing minds. It and the diversity of our identities embraced. is a matter of demonstrating that a New and United Ireland is in all our interests and that it will be a place for all. An Ireland that houses it citizens, treats its sick, provides fair work and decent pay, and ensures a fair distribution of wealth. However, Irish Unity must be planned for. It must be argued for. And it must be worked for. Sinn Féin’s primary political objective is to construct a modern, equal all-Ireland republic – an agreed Ireland achieved by The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. So let us peaceful and democratic means. be courageous enough to reimagine Ireland. Undoing Partition and its effects are central to the building of a Let us prepare, plan and work every day to see Irish Unity in truly modern, progressive, inclusive, open and forward-looking our time. society. A referendum on a United Ireland is an explicit provision of the Good Friday Agreement, supported by an overwhelming majority of voters on this island two decades ago. Mary Lou McDonald TD In recent years, the conditions for the holding of such a referendum have increased dramatically. Economic and social challenges, the civil rights of women and gay citizens and, of course, Brexit and the prospect of a hard border, are further exposing the fact that Partition does not serve the needs of our people, North or South. Our vision is not restricted to ending partition. Irish Unity must also bring prosperity for ordinary people. A new and United Ireland, based on a republican vision, will deliver on such vision. This means ensuring prosperity is shared. It means giving people security and formulating all-Ireland public policy that removes the constant vulnerability people are feeling today. A New Ireland must have as its foundation stone the core belief that every single person has value, that every single person has rights and that every single person, despite our differences, is equal The issue of Irish Unity is no longer simply a matter of Orange and Green. We are now a rainbow of colours. The unification of Ireland, without unity of our people, is meaningless. Our New Ireland must also be a home to Unionists. Unionists must have the same sense of ownership and place as anybody else. Without hiding my hopes, desires and ambition as a United Irelander, I will work every day to make friends with each and every unionist, to understand them as fellow human beings, to listen and engage with The next in the United Ireland conference series will take place on September 15th in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. The conference will be addressed by the Sinn Féin leadership, representatives from the unionist community, social and political commentators and local sports personalities. Save the date! TOWARDS A UNITED IRELAND CONFERENCE An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny Saturday, September 15th Registration from 11am TOWARDS A UNITED IRELAND I dTreo Éire Aontaithe Latest polls show surge in support for Unity A number of recent opinion polls have How strongly, if at 58.6% 57.9% 56.7% shown a surge in support for a United all, do you identify Ireland. yourself as being? 46.7% The polls show support for a United Ireland IRISH increasing dramatically since Brexit, which Irish 58.6% saw people in the North of Ireland vote 57% Northern Irish 57.9% EUROPEAN in favour of Remaining in the EU. European 56.7% BRITISH A poll by Lord Ashcroft Polls revealed 44% of British 46.7% NORTHERN IRISH people in the North would vote in favour of a united Ireland leaving the UK in the event of a referendum. LUCID TALK POLL FOR BBC MAY 2018 49% of respondents said they would vote to maintain the constitutional status quo while AMONG THOSE SURVEYED 7% said they did not know how they would UNDER THE AGE OF 45 vote. 13% DON’T KNOW Pollsters, who interviewed 1,666 adults in the North between May 24 and 28, revealed 45% 13% even those who opposed a united Ireland 42% STAY IN UK DON’T KNOW believed a referendum will be held. UNITED More than 8 in 10 Nationalists and 3 in 10 IRELAND 38% Unionists thought there would be a ‘border poll’ within the next decade. STAY IN UK The poll also spoke to voters in England, 49% Scotland and Wales, who said leaving the EU was more important than keeping the North UNITED of Ireland in the union. 45+4213 15% IRELAND Another recent opinion poll puts those who DIRECT want a united Ireland almost on par with those who want to maintain partition. RULE The online survey conducted by Lucid Talk for the BBC found that 45% of the people LUCID TALK POLL FOR in North of Ireland wanted to remain under 38BBC MAY 2018 +4913 British jurisdiction, while 42.1% said they 85% would like a United Ireland. 12.7% said they NO DIRECT didn’t know. RULE Lucid Talk’s Bill White said he believed the online survey method may catch more “shy” united Ireland supporters than face-to- face interviews used in other polls. Other interesting findings in the poll The polls show support for a United Ireland were: 15+85 increasing dramatically since Brexit, which saw Fewer people in the North think of themselves as British than in Scotland, people in the North of Ireland vote 57% in favour England or Wales. Just 46.7% see themselves as being British, compared of Remaining in the EU. to 58.6% who call themselves Irish. TOWARDS A UNITED IRELAND I dTreo Éire Aontaithe British Prime Minister’s comments are an admission that Unity referendum should be called Reports that The British Prime Minister, Theresa May believes her government would lose a referendum on Irish reunification are an admission that the threshold to hold such a vote has now been met, according to Sinn Féin Deputy leader Michelle O’Neill. O’Neill insisted that Theresa May has ‘no right’ to deny the people of Ireland the democratic entitlement to decide their own constitutional future. She was responding to reports that Theresa May told Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg that she would not be confident of winning such a referendum and it’s not ‘a risk I’m prepared to take’.