A protestant party for a protestant people

In a previous post here ('A catholic party for a catholic people') we covered Patrick Murphy's critique of Sinn Fein in The Irish News - a party that operates to the exclusion of the protestant people of Northern Ireland. The DUP are the opposite side of the same medieval coin. As Alex Kane said:

"The DUP (along with the UUP) regards its primary task as the protection, promotion and preservation of unionist interests. Put bluntly, that means doing everything possible to undermine the republican, united-Ireland agenda. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein (with the SDLP) sees its primary task as continuing to erase, or at least blur, the signs, symbols, touchstones and benchmarks which sharply define Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom."

And as we said in the previous post here, the Assembly cannot stand if parties cannot come to realize that they owe a duty and responsibility to those people who are perceived to be on the other side.

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A catholic party for catholic people

Patrick Murphy wrote in the Irish News:

"By representing only nationlists, you [Sinn Fein] have abandoned the Protestant people to unionism - which is more Daniel O'Connell than Wolfe Tone. You speak of a lack of leadership among unionists - but your lack of leadership towards what should be your own Protestant people is even more marked. (Critics of the newly formed republicans - they were just Catholics with guns. The same argument today would suggest that they are now just Catholics.)"

He continued: "An Ireland united, not by a common concept of nationhood, but by deprivation. That's why we thought you might like to reconsider your position in Irish politics." As Dr Cillian McGrattan said elsewhere, "Sinn Fein reaching out to unionism strategy is a nonsense."

The same can be said for the status quo unionist parties. Alex Kane has written of the political dangers of apathy and indifference to non-traditional voters. He said: "The Assembly cannot survive if unionist/nationalist parties refuse to accept that they have responsibilities to both sides - not just their own."

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Politicians have to catch up with the people

Northern Ireland is simultaneously one of the most progressive and regressive places in the world. However its politics is almost singularly regressive. In a speech at the Sinn Fein London conference John McCallister said:

"These transformed relationships have, in many ways, out-paced our politics.
Our citizens, our businesses, and our cultural figures are seeking ways to flourish in and through those transformed relationships... Their reality is a post-peace process reality. Our politics... well, we have some catching up to do."

Like the concerns raised by Patrick Murphy in the Irish News, John has laid out an important question for Sinn Fein (and one which applies just as much to the DUP and other parties): "Are you really prepared to address - and listen to - 21st century Northern Ireland and 21st century Ireland?"

 

 

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