Many unionists sleepwalking

BORIS Johnson betrayed us and we now have joint rule. If we haven’t noticed it’s because our unionist parties are in denial.

As a result Irish unity is now on the agenda and we are being conditioned to prepare us for a referendum.

We are moving rapidly towards radical constitutional change that will have a profound impact on all our lives and the lives of our children, and we have never been so illserved by unionism.

Like it or not, we have to enter into this debate; choosing to ignore it is irresponsible and no longer a serious option.

The UK has cast us adrift and if our community and our culture is going to survive on the island of Ireland, we need to take responsibility and shift for ourselves.

We need to challenge Irish nationalists, who hold forth that Irish unity is the road map to peace and prosperity and an all-ireland utopia.

We should invite them to provide evidence on the impact Irish unity would have on our standard of living and spell out in detail the advantages.

Continuing to simply tell us we would all be better off is just rhetoric. It is an insult to our intelligence and treats us with contempt. They need to furnish us with evidence.

An Irish Republic is not much fun if the roof falls in and you’re left with your feet in the ashes singing A Nation Once Again.

In addition I would ask what provision they would make to accommodate our culture. I pause to remind Protestants (especially the middle-class, who have neglected our culture and have no perception it is under threat), if only out of self-interest, that they need to participate in this debate.

The indifference of middle-class unionists is unacceptable and it is dangerous. They are an existential threat and we ignore it at our peril.

CLIVE MAXWELL Bleary, Co Down