I would vote for Irish unity tomorrow, come what may. It is no secret that my ambition for the future of our island points to a fixed goal. A new Ireland based on the consent of the people who share this place with a common purpose to strive for opportunity, prosperity and reconciliation. It is, I believe, the biggest, the boldest and the best idea around.
I also acknowledge that there are plenty of people who believe passionately in remaining in the United Kingdom and who would vote for that tomorrow, come what may. Through the New Ireland Commission, we’ve been having conversations with people from every shade and stripe of political opinion about what a new future could look like.
I would be lying if I said that everyone we’ve spoken to is a convert to the cause of unity. They aren’t. And some may even have become more strident in their defence of the status quo during our discussions. As every would-be politician knows, not every night is a great night on the doors. But you listen, you learn and you understand people more from every interaction. I honestly appreciate the candour and frankness with which everyone has engaged with us. It has given us a deep understanding of the hopes, fears and ambitions that drive people in this debate.
One of the most common reflections that we’ve had, from people at every point in the spectrum of constitutional opinion, is that there is a genuine fear that change, or even just talking about it, could result in the return of violence. I believe that the peace we enjoy today has strong foundations, even if the politics we endure often doesn’t. But I understand why people worry about the spectre of violence reappearing.
Because the truth is that for many communities, the shadow of violence has never really left. Coercive control by paramilitaries has evolved, it has become inward, more subtle but no less sinister. Bombs and bullets have, for the most part, been replaced by drug dealing, racketeering and illegal money lending. And for people who live through that oppression every day, the notion that it could quickly switch back to inter-community violence isn’t a big leap to make.
Ending paramilitary violence is a whole society problem. But it is a particular challenge that those of us who believe in a new Ireland need to set ourselves to. Because the people we need to convince that they can trust us to build a nation that includes and cherishes their traditions see the campaign of dissident republicans, they see attempts to murder and maim police officers, and they want no part of any future on those terms.
So while the New Ireland Commission, Ireland’s Future and others have been strenuously and genuinely engaging with many people from other traditions, we also need to set ourselves the task of convincing republicans who disagree with us and who have not yet given up on violence that the only future worth having is the one the people of our island choose, free from fear.
My message to those people is simple – I know that you disagree with me, with the SDLP, with Sinn Féin, with the peace process itself. But if you truly believe in the unity of this island, then you cannot continue to set yourself against the will of the Irish people. Every operation you plan, every device you plant, every bullet you fire injures the cause of unity. It isn’t an attack on the British state, it is an attack on Irish police officers and it is an attack on our future. It is a failed strategy that holds our whole society back.
The most significant contribution that you can make to the future of our island is to end the campaign of violence, commit to exclusively peaceful and democratic means and in doing so, you will help to remove one of the most significant barriers to unity. That would be a powerful contribution to future generations.
So here’s my offer – I will meet with anyone or any group willing to consider making that move. To transition from violent to democratic struggle. To putting the needs, hopes and ambitions of future generations above the pain and ancient grievance of that past.
Mark Twain is credited with saying that history never repeats itself but it often rhymes. In many ways, those of us who believe in a new future are faced with the same challenge that Hume grappled with. We condemn the violence, of course – it has no moral, ethical or political place in Ireland. But we have to work to show that unity isn’t about the defeat of our neighbours, it’s about working together to achieve more for all our communities, come what may. That’s part of the challenge for all of us. I’m prepared to talk to anyone to make that happen.
Colum Eastwood is the Member of Parliament for Foyle.