People must remember that it is more than money that binds UK

WHEN Dr Bernard J Mulholland (Write Back, January 4) makes the argument about the Northern Ireland subvention, he reminds me of the folk who pick out a particular condition, maybe caused by lifestyle, and complain about the billions they cost the NHS and how much could be saved if they were not there. They do this while ignoring the overall picture to boost their argument.

It is the same whenever we start to sectionalise anything, be it the NHS, or Brexit: we are continually told that Northern Ireland and Scotland did not vote to leave Europe, but without the Leave votes in these regions, the referendum would have failed; it was a national vote, not a regional one.

It is wrong, therefore, for Dr Mulholland to make a case solely based on the Northern Ireland (or, indeed, Scottish) subventions.

Their removal would, I suggest, make very little difference to the average British taxpayer, of which I am one, in the overall scheme of things.

Does he really believe another few billion would be noticed in the trillions spent by the Exchequer each year? He ignores the fact that there are similar amounts of taxpayers’ money paid to regions of England. Perhaps he could argue that it would benefit the south-east of England to hive off Yorkshire, or Cumbria?

Dr Mulholland (and other contributors who continually poormouth

Northern Ireland) ignores that it is more than money that binds us together: it is the contribution that people from here make to this United Kingdom; it is the ties of history, of shared sacrifice, of education and of kith and kin. Just listen to the Northern Ireland accents of many men and women in leading positions across the water.

All that applies equally across the communities here. So please, Dr Mulholland, stop portraying me — and everyone else here — as some sort of beggar at the door, rather than a member of the family sharing from the common pot.

RAYMOND HUGHES

Ballyclare, Co Antrim