UK subsidies may well dry up once Brexit hits hard, so NI unionists should look south for best solution

FOR some time now, especially since the Brexit vote, your paper seems to have an obsession with publishing articles on the possibility of a future united Ireland. Your most recent effort is the article (News, April 21) publicising the views of DUP MP Jim Shannon.

He’s quite adamant in his opinion that a Catholic majority will not automatically lead to a majority vote in Northern Ireland for reunification.

“I know many people from religions other than Protestant who have no intention of voting for a united Ireland,” says Mr Shannon, without giving any facts to support his statement.

And, with all due respect to Mr Shannon, like the rest of his DUP colleagues, I imagine that the number of people he knows who are not Protestant is probably quite small.

The reality is unionism has had nearly 100 years to make some kind of an effort to reconcile the two communities and has failed miserably.

Northern Ireland as a solution to the ‘Irish Question’ has been a dismal failure. Thousands of people have lost their lives and millions of pounds have been lost in property damage. It is clear that partition has not worked and cannot work. A new solution needs to be found.

If Mr Shannon thinks that a majority in a border referendum will vote to remain in the UK, he might consider how tenuous the idea of the Union is with the British (especially the English) taxpayer. When the reality of Brexit hits the British economy, the English may very well baulk at continuing to subsidise Northern Ireland.

Ironically, your interests would probably be best protected in an Irish parliament.

You can be part of the problem or part of the solution. Continuing to stick with the former practically guarantees what you fear most will surely happen.

JERRY BARNES Sacramento, California, USA