UUP dismisses Fine Gael unity plan as “pet project”

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA has written to the Tánaiste, Simon Harris TD, rejecting Fine Gael’s Blueprint for a Unified Island as a constitutional pet project.

Jon Burrows said:

“The Ulster Unionist Party will not participate in any project designed to dismantle the United Kingdom. We have no interest in a republican invitation to commit political suicide.

“We are willing partners in practical co-operation that benefits everyone. Simon Harris should focus on building trust and respecting our place in the Union. We will work with everyone to promote prosperity, but we are not interested in constitutional pet projects.”

Full text of the letter below:

Dear Mr Harris,

Thank you for your letter inviting views on Irish unification.

There is a basic flaw in your thinking. You labour under the mistaken impression that there is even a modicum of interest within unionism in a project that would destroy the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

There is no meaningful support within unionism for such a break-up; our constitutional ties are eastward with other British peoples, not southward with a State that has shirked its responsibilities throughout the Troubles and where trust in, and respect for, unionism remain sorely lacking.

Our place in the United Kingdom also provides the protection of its security umbrella and the resilience of one of the world’s largest economies. Your own State has benefited from both: British naval air-defence support was reported at September’s EU defence ministers’ meeting in Wicklow, while the UK provided a £3.23 billion loan to Ireland following the financial crisis, which was subsequently repaid in full.

Instead of indulging in fairy-tale politics to outdo your sister republican parties, it is my firm view that you would be better served by exploring ways of developing ties that address decades of suspicion and mistrust. New institutions developed on an island-wide basis are not a panacea, but rather a recipe for unsettling and indefinite political turmoil. Furthermore, pushing such an agenda risks deepening division and instability, to the detriment of both jurisdictions.

To be clear, the Ulster Unionist Party will have nothing to do with what amounts to a republican invitation to commit political suicide. There is nothing to be gained from pretending everything would be sweetness and light in your new “nirvana”. The exercise upon which you have embarked upon is destabilising, unhelpful and potentially dangerous. I would urge you to face reality and devote your energies to building trust. Without a sincere effort to win hearts and minds, nothing constructive or tangible will emerge.

Instead, the Ulster Unionist Party sees the future on this island as one built on what is best for both our peoples, without political overlay or political engineering. Take the work of InterTradeIreland, the cross-border implementation body established under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. We welcome closer business links, greater trade collaboration, shared learning and practical cross-border cooperation in areas such as health, agriculture and infrastructure.

We are not naysayers, but practical people content with our position within the Union who resent efforts to browbeat or bully. If you wish to build genuine trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, while respecting our place within the United Kingdom, you will find me a willing participant.

Yours sincerely,

Jon Burrows MLA