A Journey From Unionism to Irish Unity
The debate on Irish Unity has been alive across the media and in academia across Ireland, the EU, and the US.
One upcoming book caught our eye. It will be published in October and written from the perspective of someone brought up in a unionist community who now supports Irish Unity.
The book is called Irish Unity: Time To Prepare and has been written by Ben Collins.
Mr. Collins wrote how the Good Friday Agreement, Brexit, and Scottish Independence movement impacted his thinking.
“My conversion to the New Ireland cause was not an overnight decision and predates Brexit. I have always felt Irish and while initially, this was in addition to feeling British, my thinking has changed over time.
There are many people like me who come from a Unionist and British background, who want to be part of the European Union and are now open to the idea of Irish Unity. They want to know what does Unity mean for the health service, pensions and the economy.
We have to provide a pathway for the Protestant Unionist and Loyalist community into the New Ireland. They need to be reassured that their rights will be protected.
I do not believe that the continuation of the Stormont Assembly is the answer. There is no such thing as a kinder, gentler form of partition.
To ensure that all who live across the island of Ireland benefit from Unity, we need to have one economy, one health service and one legal system, firmly embedded in the European Single Market, which is the largest economic bloc in the world.
We now have a scenario where the UK Government refuses to state how Scotland can legally leave the UK. At the same time they won’t set out the criteria which would trigger a border poll in Northern Ireland.
This does not feel like a voluntary union to me. It is another reason why I want to see Irish Unity and I believe this is achievable within the next decade.”
The full piece by Ben Collins can be read over on https://irishborderpoll.com/2022/08/03/former-unionist-ben-collins-why-im-now-for-irish-unity/