Leading historian says case must be made for NI to stay in UK

Paul Bew says new British PM must highlight the ‘intellectual weakness’ of a united Ireland

Updated: Wed, Jun 19, 2019, 14:09
Ronan McGreevy
Lord Paul Bew said: “A new, modern case for the union must be developed, based on the principle of consent.” Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images

Lord Paul Bew said: “A new, modern case for the union must be developed, based on the principle of consent.” Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images

The new British prime minister must make the case for the United Kingdom with a positive vision to counter the nationalist narrative, a prominent historian has suggested.

Lord Paul Bew, who teaches Irish history and politics at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), said Theresa May’s successor must make the case for the union consistently and also highlight what he described as the “intellectual weakness” of the case for a united Ireland.

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