While hardliners are branding those Unionists who support the return of Stormont as so-called protocol implementers, apart from shouting from the sidelines, the Hard Right of Unionism and Loyalism has no effective workable strategy to completely eradicate the Windsor Framework.
If you go by the Donaldson deal, there is no Irish Sea border; if you follow the political logic of the hardliners, the Irish Sea border still exists.
Unionism remains a minority ideology in the up and running Stormont, so pro-Union MLAs will have to box clever if the Windsor Framework is to be politically eradicated in terms of its effects on Northern Ireland and the state’s place in the United Kingdom.
One thing is certain - the Windsor Framework’s out-workings will not be eliminated by wee meetings in Orange or community halls, street parades, or even a campaign of civil disobedience which involves blocking roads or putting up posters and banners on bridges and signposts.
The operation to politically and economically neuter the Windsor Framework must be performed in the Assembly Chamber and committee rooms of Stormont’s Parliament Buildings.
While this May marks the 50th anniversary of the Ulster Workers’ Council strike which crippled the Sunningdale power-sharing Executive, so-called loyalist muscle on Northern Ireland’s streets will have no impact on the Windsor Framework.
Anti-deal Unionism and Loyalism needs to remember that the Ulster Says No and Ulster Still Says No street protests of 1985 and 1986 had no impact whatsoever on the November 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement.
Even around 170,000 public sector workers recently marching about pay in the largest strike Northern Ireland has witnessed since 1974 did not unlock the £3.3 billion which the British Government had set aside for the Province. It took MLAs walking back to Stormont, electing a Speaker, First Minister and deputy First Minister.
While bobbies’ boots on the street may be the solution to any policing crisis, Loyalist hobnail boots prancing around roads will have no impact on the operation of the Windsor Framework, except to get a few previously innocent loyalists a potential criminal record for street disturbances.
Put bluntly, no matter how politically stomach-churning the Windsor Framework appears to Unionism and Loyalism, it can only be confined to the dustbin of history by economically poisoning it from the inside - and that can only be achieved through Unionist MLAs effectively working the newly-formed Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee at Stormont.
The chair of this new committee is Sinn Fein’s Declan Kearney, with the DUP’s David Brooks as deputy chair. Now is the time for the various groups in society which vehemently oppose the Windsor Framework to park their marching boots, and don their thinking caps by making clear, logical arguments to that committee.
The Windsor Framework was born out of democratic negotiations. It can equally be terminated through that same process. Yes, Unionism and Loyalism must understand this process may be long-term, just as it took several years until 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement eradicated the effects of the 1985 Hillsborough Agreement.
Unionism may not be able to immediately before Easter inflict the politically fatal single dose of cyanide to the Windsor Framework, but it can use this new Stormont scrutiny committee to initially give the Windsor Framework an upset tummy and slowly poison the Framework document by degrees.
However, that will not involve another suspension of Stormont. Sinn Fein played its veto ‘joker’ card for three years; the DUP for another two years. Vetos are now off the agenda. Only democratic persuasion and mature lobbying, not meaningless rants and empty rhetoric, will unlock the Achilles heel of the Windsor Framework.
Unionism and Loyalism must go on the ideological offensive against the Windsor Framework by asking the initial question - why would the European Union fear any termination of the Windsor Framework?
The answer may come later this year and before the summer when the next round of European elections are scheduled in the other EU member states. If opinion polls are correct, Europe’s Right-wing parties - and especially the Far Right - are expected to make significant gains.
Dedicated europhiles fear the emergence of an influential eurosceptic movement in the heart of the European Parliament leading to a surge in populist politics.
The last thing the europhiles want is the Far Right chanting - ‘look what the Brits got through Brexit; we want our own exit, too!’
The Donaldson deal with the British Government may have sparked a political realignment in Unionism, but it also served as a basic blueprint for other EU member states considering either loosening their ties with Brussels, or like the UK, severing formal links through Brexit.
The europhiles must be quietly, but considerably worried that any significant growth in the EU’s eurosceptic lobby of MEPs could see that faction campaigning for the EU to be reformed into its original format of the old European Economic Community (EEC), which was a very effective trading organisation in its prime.
Europhiles may herald the Windsor Framework as the solution to calm the Brexit storm specifically with Northern Ireland and generally with the UK.
But like a pack of political dominos, could the reality be - knock down the Windsor Framework using the Stormont Assembly and the whole of the EU may eventually crumble?
The so-called battle a day at Stormont is not going to be between Sinn Fein and the DUP, or the Stormont Executive versus Westminster, but it will be the Windsor Framework versus the future long-term stability of the EU.
 |
Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online. |
The absolutely best thing Unionism and Loyalism can do is make Northern Ireland WORK. Honest to fuck, how can anyone not see this? Throwing hissy fits and attempting to hold on to a ball so no-one else can play is self-defeating. Making NI work is the 100% surest way to ensure it survives. The Shinners are administering UK rule and still their not happy?
ReplyDeleteThis is it in a nutshell - the wind is taken out of the sails of any impetus towards Irish unity by a functioning Northern polity. The drive toward unity is in large part fuelled by the DUP denying nationalists the opportunity to govern (albeit in Bantustan form) in the North.
ReplyDelete@ Steve R
ReplyDeleteGenuine question, how important is the union to certain elements of the PUL community?
If I was a committed unionist, I'd oppose contentious marches, champion equality legislation, and embrace Irishness as a bona fide culture for exploration, albeit not adoption.
The type of unionism/loyalism that the DUP and some (I concede not all) of their supporters seem to want deems (largely symbolic) acts of supremacy and oppression as more important than the actual union with GB.
Brandon,
DeleteIts a very human characteristic to stick with what we know. The Union is still very important to us for cultural reasons setting aside everything else like economic and historical ties.
Now I'll cast an opinion here regarding the marches and I stress this is only my opinion.
When I was back last June/July there were marches taking place, I even went to see one in East Belfast to shown my Oz family what it was like. I was surprised to see how much it had changed. It was a LOT more relaxed and more side entertainment for the kids plus a lot less drinking. Now admittedly I don't and never did care for the marches but I was struck how much the numbers were down from 20 odd year ago.
Watching the TV there seemed to be practically little if any trouble.
The so called contentious marches are fading away, and the numbers that follow them are doing likewise. From what I gather even the main Belfast parade is considering shortening it's route due to either low numbers or being bloody annoyed at the state of the place the hangers on left the city in after it ( a massive personal annoyance of mine).
I think the parades are slowly but surely morphing into a less triumphalist set piece into more family cultural and much smaller affair. There's little interest in going back to the bad old days of the 90's from my community.
I have no problem being Irish and an Ulsterman and a UK citizen. The problem my community have/had is a deep resentment and suspicion of Sinn Fein who we see as the Provos in suits.
But like Anthony and I point out this is a very different political landscape these days with SF administering UK rule and chequebook. Hopefully the PUL political parties have finally grasped this as actually a massive gift to ensure NI's continuing existence, and the best way to do that is better trade and ties with EVERYONE across the islands. Make it work and it becomes impossible to argue for its dissolution.