Government may be giving false hope to Unionists - McLaughlin

The British Government must ask itself if it is giving ‘‘false hope’’ to unionists in Northern Ireland by maintaining its presence there, a leading Sinn Fein figure argued tonight.

In a speech developing his party’s case for a united Ireland to party activists in Cork, Mitchel McLaughlin welcomed Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble’s recent call for a referendum next year on the province’s future in the United Kingdom.

Insisting that republicans were ready for that debate, he denied Mr Trimble’s claim that it would put to bed for a generation ‘‘the drive towards a united Ireland’’.

The Sinn Fein chairman also moved to reassure unionists that republicans did not want a united Ireland which replaced the ‘‘unionist domination of republicans with the republican/nationalist domination of unionists’’.

And he warned Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Government that it was creating an identity crisis within unionism by trying to postpone an ‘‘inevitable’’ united Ireland.

‘‘The question now for the British Government is - does it still have selfish interests - be they political, military or economic - in maintaining its presence here?’’ the Foyle Assembly member asked.

‘‘Is the continued presence here only serving to give false hope to unionists until it finds the courage to admit its presence in the north of Ireland is only postponing the inevitable - Irish unity?

‘‘Will the British Government encourage unionists to become part of the management of change by consistently stating its intentions to comply with the terms of the Good Friday Agreement to legislate for the transfer of power as soon as a majority votes for constitutional change?

‘‘Or will it, just as it has done with those that pledged loyalty to it in Hong Kong, as it is now doing in

Gibraltar and as it has done all over the world, just abandon the unionists without any preparation when it is politically expedient to do so?

‘‘I accept this has created a crisis within the unionist section of the population - that is not just of a party political nature but one of fear for their identity and culture.’’

The Sinn Fein MLA said republicans were anxious to reassure unionists it was not their intention to ‘‘create a New Ireland in the image of the Northern (Ireland) state’’ from partition in 1921 until the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Republicans, he said, had never questioned unionists’ right to pursue and develop a ‘‘distinct cultural identity’’ with the same rights and guarantees as other communities in a united Ireland.

Mr McLaughlin continued: ‘‘A New Ireland would require a new constitution and a Bill of Rights to reflect the new reality and unionists would have a crucial part to play in writing that constitution.

‘‘For our part, Sinn Fein will negotiate on the basis of that democratic commitment to parity of esteem.

‘‘The New Ireland envisaged by republicans requires unionist participation as equals and contributing their undoubted expertise in industry, commerce, culture and politics.

‘‘I appeal to unionists to look at the substance of the arguments for and against the reunification of

Ireland rather than foster fear of and become obsessed with the restructuring that the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement has required.’’