The Brexit row is a chance to counter extremism in Northern Ireland
SIR – For those of us who live in Northern Ireland and are aware of its historic political divisions, the current impasse is not in the least surprising. The British Government has shown how naive it is in thinking that it can enforce a solution on an intransigent Democratic Unionist Party.
Although the Good Friday Agreement was a momentous achievement in itself and should be upheld, it had one serious flaw. The Labour government under Tony Blair allowed the new Assembly to become dominated by the two extremist parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein, thereby sidelining the Ulster Unionist Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (the moderate Catholic party) and the Alliance Party.
Government in Northern Ireland came to be tenuously held together by the joint charismatic partnership of Ian Paisley of the DUP and Martin Mcguinness of Sinn Fein. But now under lesser personalities the old animosities have returned.
A new solution to the governance of the province must be found. Because of its unique geographical position, sharing a land border with the EU, Northern Ireland is a exceptional case. For five years its special position in relation to the Irish Republic should remain as it is, together with some form of suggested alignment.
At the end of that period, a plebiscite should be held for the citizens of Northern Ireland to decide what their future should be.
Heads need to be banged together, and both the Irish government and the EU must show more flexibility. Tessa Lefroy
Kesh, Co Fermanagh
SIR – The DUP’S veto of Theresa May’s deal reflects the fact that, not only do Brexit supporters want to have their cake and eat it, but they can agree on neither the type nor the flavour.
It’s time we took our biscuit out of the teacup before it reaches total saturation and collapse. John Harcourt
Reigate, Surrey SIR – Northern Ireland does not have regulatory consistency with the rest of the United Kingdom even today. Anyone in the Republic can cross the border into Northern Ireland without any passport checks whatsoever.
The border arrangement works well because it is a convenient, local, pragmatic solution rather than a perfect one. A similar kind of flexibility is needed from all parties once again. Roger Fowler
Shefford, Bedfordshire
SIR – Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP, insists that Northern Ireland must not be treated differently from any other part of the United Kingdom.
However, by their refusal to adopt certain pieces of UK legislation – the law relating to same-sex marriage is but one example – Northern Irish politicians and judiciary have already ensured that Northern Ireland is different from other areas of the UK. Patrick Miller
Seaton Carew, Co Durham