Northern Ireland Sinn Féin, Northern Ireland’s largest party for the first time: preparations for unifying Ireland must begin now

London

Northern Ireland the largest party, Sinn Féin, wants a wide-ranging public debate on the practicalities of uniting the island of Ireland to begin now.

The aim is for a referendum on a united Ireland to be held during this decade.

“Governments in both Dublin and London need to understand that the people of the island of Ireland feel that change is inevitably approaching,” said Sinn Féin, director. Mary Lou McDonald to correspondents in London on Tuesday.

Irish Sinn Féin, which is uniting the island, rose in early May in the election for the first time as the largest party in the National Assembly of Northern Ireland. On the side of the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Féin is the largest opposition party.

The success has spurred the demands to unite the island.

“There is a lot of support, especially among young people,” McDonald said.

However, the decision to “update” the referendum rests with the British Government’s Northern Ireland Minister, in effect the British Prime Minister. A possible referendum on reunification should be held in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

McDonald is a Member of the Irish Parliament and leader of the Irish opposition. Michelle O’Neill in turn leads Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland.

With the election victory, O’Neill is set to become the first nationalist prime minister in the Northern Ireland self-government.

However, the government will not be mobilized because the largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), is refusing to cooperate.

The reason is the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit agreement. The DUP and the British government want at least major changes to the Additional Protocol to make it “work”.

According to O’Neill, the DUP’s attitude is selfish and the British government’s actions are even threatening the Northern Ireland peace deal.

“Yes, the Additional Protocol works … it’s a Brexit that doesn’t work, but that’s another matter,” McDonald said.

Read more: The Brexit dispute in Northern Ireland flared up again – Is trade war already threatening?

Britannian foreign minister Liz Truss confirmed in the House of Commons last week that the British government is preparing a law that would nullify part of the Brexit agreement. At the same time, he said all parties in Northern Ireland agreed that the Additional Protocol should be rejected.

Sinn Féin disagrees again. It says the majority of members of the National Assembly for Northern Ireland are behind the Additional Protocol.

McDonald admits the new customs rules will create additional bureaucracy, but the EU has faced problems and suggested relief: “The EU has been fair.”

EU Commissioner for Brexit Maroš Šefčovič has reportedly kept its promises.

Brexitin Northern Ireland remained in the EU’s internal market and customs union for trade in goods, even though it is part of the United Kingdom. An arrangement was reached to keep the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland open.

The unionists who supported Brexit are now dissatisfied as the arrangement distances Northern Ireland from Britain. The customs border rose in the Irish Sea.

Sinn Féin sees this differently too.

“Thanks to the Additional Protocol, Northern Ireland still has full access to the EU’s internal market, unlike Britain.”

According to McDonald, accounts of the economic chaos created by the Additional Protocol are untrue.

“It’s ironic that those who were most enthusiastic about Brexit are now crying the most because of Brexit.”