Mr Hayes: Ireland’s sovereignty sacrosanct

The call by a Conservative MP, Michael Fabricant, for Ireland to rejoin the British Commonwealth following the successful state visit to the UK of President Michael D Higgins comes as no surprise. However, the response by Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes who said “such a proposal should be considered”, does.

The Irish state formally left the British Commonwealth in 1949. At that time, this policy was seen as a natural further step in the direction of a fully sovereign Irish state. Today, 65 years later, there are Irish political figures, not just Brian Hayes, calling for the restoration of the Commonwealth link.

However, despite the machinations of those who favour the restoration of the link to the Commonwealth, there is no significant degree of support amongst the population for re-entry. Rejoining the Commonwealth would have the effect of gradually “re-Britishing” the Irish state and would amount to a rejection of the separatist aspect of Irish nationalism.