Emma de Souza: Political unionism is playing with fire once again

Political unionism isn’t known for compromise, level-headedness or conciliatory language but this latest round of political point-scoring is a dangerous game. Tensions in Northern Ireland have been steadily growing since the creation of the Irish sea border on January 1st, fuelled by the language and actions of many within political unionism.

In the space of a week we’ve seen an alarming increase of threats in the form of graffiti, increased calls from political unionism to scrap the Northern Irish protocol, threats and intimidation to staff working at the ports in Belfast and Larne and an impressive display of mental gymnastics by political unionism which condemned the EU commission’s misstep on article 16 only to subsequently demand that the British government itself invoke article 16.

There is an inherent danger in fanning the flames of anger and discontent – the potential ramifications of which we’ve just witnessed in the US. Donald Trump spent months lying about the results of the recent presidential election, completely undermining an integral tenet of any modern democracy while goading his followers to “stop the steal”. Many of those supporters – when faced with the consequences of their crimes – quickly shirked culpability, claiming they were merely following the president’s direction, while Trump and his fellow instigators threw their hands up and claimed no wrong-doing.

Political unionism trails behind its conservative American counterparts, on a similarly spiralling trajectory. It claims to be shocked by the rampant threats developing out of the rhetoric their political contemporaries have been peddling, and purporting also to be surprised that those within their community would turn to intimidation – or even violence. As too with the US, words are only just words until they spur a tangible reaction, and the message being spread by political unionism is actively fuelling the flames of instability in our society.

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Some of the aforementioned words of condemnation appeared in response to the widely publicised threats made toward staff working at the ports in Larne and Belfast. However, much in the same vein as Trump’s failure to fully condemn those responsible for the insurrection at the Capitol, these statements failed to hit the notes they were purportedly intended to strike. If your words of condemnation contain a “but”, then you aren’t doing it right. Giving any credence or legitimacy to those advocating disruption, violence, or intimidation is irresponsible, reckless and endemic of the situation we now find ourselves in.

There are few as skilled in the art of whataboutery as those who've made a career of it as Northern Irish political representatives. Unionist politicians seeking to lay blame for the out-workings of Brexit upon the parties who actively campaigned against it exemplifies the issue. At its core, this dangerous rhetoric is but a poor attempt at deflecting responsibility for the effects of such a reckless national endeavour; a responsibility that lies firmly at the feet of the DUP.

There is a duplicity echoing in the cries of Brexit betrayal – some of those enraged by the version of Brexit they been lumped with have also spent years dismissing and ignoring the views and concerns of all those who cast their vote against exiting the European Union. That the majority of the population in Northern Ireland voted to remain a part of the European Union is an inconvenient truth for some.

A recent poll from LucidTalk published in the Belfast Telegraph on Monday showed a marked decline in support for the DUP, with the UUP continuing on its own downward trend. Unionism is in decline, having recently lost the majority in both the Assembly and at Westminster. A pro-union campaign group called Uniting UK conducted a recent series of focus groups that painted a grim picture for the future of unionism. Respondents described unionism as backward-looking, afraid of change, a thing of the past, and embarrassing. One woman described unionism as, “... an old idea for old men.”

There have, of course, always been groups within Northern Ireland who opposed the Good Friday Agreement to varying degrees, but rhetoric from political unionism has further emboldened these groups.

Despite persistent attempts, the agreement can’t be undone by threats of intimidation or violence – for everyone who agitates for disruption and chaos, there are more advocating for peace. In the words of Bill Clinton in 1998: “In the days to come there may be those who will try to undermine this great achievement, not only with words but perhaps also with violence. All the parties and all the rest of us must stand shoulder to shoulder to defy any such appeal.”

There is no such thing as a good Brexit for Northern Ireland – no version of it capable of satiating the desires of hardline northern Brexiteers while protecting the Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland protocol is what we have to work with. Scrapping the protocol is not on the table – it is neither possible nor realistic. Political unionism is misleading its own base by suggesting otherwise.

As we watch the fallout of Trump’s legacy, we should be reminded of the power words can possess, and the irreparable damage of misinformation. Political unionism should take heed of where Trump finds himself now – responsible for a staggering act of violence and an affront to democracy from which the nation will long be reeling. With Northern Ireland’s scorched history, we can spare our region this future.

It’s time to dial down the rhetoric, work collectively with all parties for viable solutions, and condemn calls for the dismantling of the vital few protections in-place for all of us. But considering the release of a new five-point plan from the DUP to “free us from the protocol”, hopes of unity, honesty, and calm heads seem unlikely to materialise.

Emma de Souza is a writer and citizens' rights campaigner