Yates’s proposal not in the national interest

THE proposal by Ivan Yates (Opinion, June 11) for “all party agreement” in “the national interest” is, as he himself acknowledged, “utopian, naïve and undemocratic”.

It is also dangerous. His contention that it “would not remove inter-party competition” does not stand up to scrutiny. It would just add most of the opposition to our virtual one-party state. His contention that “the FF/Green government will limp on in a weakened state” is contradicted by the vote of confidence passed by a comfortable majority yesterday. Interfering with the position in which a government governs and an opposition holds them to account is leaving ourselves open to dictatorship. Listening to a government minister gloating about the length of time the opposition are out of power on radio recently reminds all of us how arrogant human beings become when they get into power for a long time. Getting rid of the opposition, which is what Yates is proposing, is not in “the national interest”.

A Leavy