Sir, – Archbishop Eamon Martin laments the lack of Catholic representation at Westminster ("North's Catholics left out of UK Brexit debate, Archbishop Eamon Martin says", News, October 2nd).
Of course Northern Ireland Protestants are not directly represented either – but unionists, mainly Protestants, but who include many Catholics, are represented by the DUP. If Catholics, who are now at least equal in numbers to Protestants in the North, are not represented, it is entirely their own choice. Sinn Féin, supported predominantly by Catholics, made it clear before the last elections that they would not take their Westminster seats. Catholics could have voted for moderate nationalist politicians who were prepared to take their seats – but instead, Catholics actually voted to replace two moderate nationalist SDLP MPs with abstentionist Sinn Féin MPs.
Rather than just bewail the lack of Catholic representation at Westminster, Archbishop Martin should now advise his co-religionists that if they want to be represented at Westminster in the upcoming general election, then they should vote for a candidate who will actually take the seat. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY O’LEARY,
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Portmarnock,
Co Dublin.