A chara, – Gay Mitchell lists all the many compromises he considers necessary for the creation of a united Ireland, including membership of Nato (Letters, April 26th).
In reality, there is only one pre-condition for a united Ireland, and that is a majority vote in favour within Northern Ireland, as provided for in the Belfast Agreement. The UK is obligated by that international treaty to transfer sovereignty over Northern Ireland to Ireland without further preconditions in that circumstance.
Of course, the Irish government of the day will want to foster good relations with the UK and the unionist community in those circumstances, just as we seek to do now, but any decision on Nato membership and the other issues Mr Mitchell mentions will be a matter for the new sovereign united Ireland government and its people, including the unionist community.
Whether unionists seek to retain Nato membership as a matter of priority remains to be seen, but any promise of such membership is unlikely to sway many unionists to vote for a united Ireland in any border poll, while it may sway some of the electorate to vote against it.
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We must distinguish between what is required to make a united Ireland possible and what the sovereign government and people of that new political entity will choose to do in the future. No doubt policy and constitutional changes will be sought by some unionists to make them feel more comfortable in the new state. Others may choose not to identify with the new state regardless of any changes proposed.
Sovereign states have a tendency to chart their own course, and of course that includes fostering good relations with neighbours, at home and abroad.
But who can say with certainty what the future holds for all of us in a world that is yet to be created?
Unionists could surprise us all and demand progressive and peaceful changes to the world order. There is, after all, a strong Quaker tradition in Northern Ireland. – Is mise,
FRANK SCHNITTGER,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.