TUV's Jim Allister attacks Ian Paisley

dlofnep

The TUV's Jim Allister has launched an attack on Ian Paisley's visit to Dublin.

“Ian Paisley’s pilgrimage to Dublin last week, when he visited the Dail, O’Connell’s tomb and held a private lunch with the Irish President, demonstrates how far the DUP has departed from its roots and principles.

“Such fraternisation with Dublin was once anathema, now being lauded by republican leaders, including the Sinn Fein leader in the Dail, is craved. O’Neill, Faulkner and Trimble were vilified for far less, but now for ‘nua DUP’ such is chic.

“This is the same Republic which in its Constitution still pursues an expansionist agenda, proclaiming “It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish Nation.” There is no such Irish nation and, therefore, no entitlement or birthright on the part of anyone to belong to such a mythical nation. To identify and hold to a single Irish nation, co-terminus with the island of Ireland, is to treat contemptuously all who live on the island of Ireland but are British and Unionist in nationality and persuasion. This contempt is compounded by the Irish Constitution’s affirmation that it is “the firm will of the Irish nation” to politically unite all the people of the whole island in a “united Ireland”.

“As the DUP once believed (page 16 of 2004 publication ‘North South East West’), “The constitution of the Republic of Ireland should not claim the people of Northern Ireland any more than it should have claimed its territory”. Now, it seems this irredentist claim is so palatable that a Paisley pilgrimage to Dublin is par for the DUP’s Belfast Agreement course.”

http://www.tuv.org.uk/press-releases/view/675/tuv-condemns-paisley-pilgrimage-to-dublin

This guy is arse-backwards. You know you've progressed forward to moderate Unionism, when Jim Allister attacks you. Paisley, while a hard-liner in his youth has now become more moderate in his views with his old age.

Does Allister speak on behalf of many Unionists, or is he just blowing smoke?

sceptre

dlofnep wrote: »

Does Allister speak on behalf of many Unionists, or is he just blowing smoke?

The latter. A look at their election results on wikipedia shows their minority support.

He's appealing to the hardcore who still reckon that O’Neill, Faulkner and Trimble should have been vilified for their attempts to open the hatches a wee bit with regard to any dealings with the, er, Dublin government. They even call their own election results "disappointing".

Bottle_of_Smoke

Its a bit ridiculous alright. If he truly believes a 1 island nation has no basis you'd think he'd be less insecure about it being persued

dlofnep

sceptre wrote: »

The latter. A look at their election results on wikipedia shows their minority support.

He's appealing to the hardcore who still reckon that O’Neill, Faulkner and Trimble should have been vilified for their attempts to open the hatches a wee bit with regard to any dealings with the, er, Dublin government. They even call their own election results "disappointing".

Sounds about right. Hopefully they remain as a fringe party. I would hate to see Unionists taken by their rhetoric. So far, they haven't and that can be only positive.