Sinn Féin MPs Conor Murphy (Newry/Armagh) and Michelle Gildernew (Fermanagh/South Tyrone) will be in London tomorrow 29th and Wednesday 30th January to brief cross-party MP’s and Peers on Sinn Féin’s call for a Border Poll.
Speaking before leaving for London the Sinn Féin MP’s said:
“The purpose of our visit this week is a follow on from the launch of the Sinn Féin Border Campaign by Party President, Gerry Adams in Dublin last week. In our discussions with MP’s from across the political parties we will be lobbying support for the holding of a Poll to determine the constitutional preference of the people of the North of Ireland.
Michelle Gildernew explained:
“While the Good Friday Agreement states that the British Secretary of State will decide when to call such a Poll, Sinn Féin believes that recent election and Census results demonstrate enough change in demographics to warrant a Border Poll being conducted in the lifetime of the next Assembly & Oireachtas terms.
Conor Murphy added:
“There are also on-going efforts by Sinn Féin to convince unionist political leaders to sit down with all the other parties to discuss issues of identity, culture and symbols. This takes on a new sense of urgency in the aftermath of the recent protests following the democratic decision by Belfast City Council to fly the Union flag only on designated days. We will also be updating the Westminster MP’s on these developments.
“Although the number of protests still taking place has been reduced, illegal blocking of roads and violence, as in Newtownabbey on Friday night is still taking place
mark anthony france on said:
Just so people are aware of what the Good Friday Agreement says about the ‘Border Poll’ here are the relevant sections of the agreement
“1. (1) It is hereby declared that Northern Ireland in its entirety remains
part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the
consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland voting in a poll
held for the purposes of this section in accordance with Schedule 1.
(2) But if the wish expressed by a majority in such a poll is that Northern
Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a
united Ireland, the Secretary of State shall lay before Parliament such
proposals to give effect to that wish as may be agreed between Her
Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of
Ireland.
2. The Government of Ireland Act 1920 is repealed; and this Act shall
have effect notwithstanding any other previous enactment.
SCHEDULE 1
POLLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SECTION 1
1. The Secretary of State may by order direct the holding of a poll for the
purposes of section 1 on a date specified in the order.
2. Subject to paragraph 3, the Secretary of State shall exercise the power
under paragraph 1 if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of
those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland.”
with only a quarter of people in a recent poll identifying themselves as ‘British’ it may well be the case that despite the recent ‘flag protests’ that [if Sinn Fein's campaign for a Border Poll forces the Secretary of State to act under the provisions of the GFA] then a majority may vote for a United Ireland…
mark anthony franceQuote text Reply
AndyS. on said:
Only a minority in the Census identified as “Irish only”. The combined “British Only” and “Northern Irish Only” numbers do not suggest that a majority exists for an UI within Northern Ireland.
AndyS.Quote text Reply
redhand on said:
#2
Indeed. See the following poll:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21345997
Support for UI is a minority pursuit even amongst Catholics (35% for, 38% against) and lower even than the 26% who identified as “Irish only” (just 21%). Moreover, of those who asserted a Northern Irish identity, 72% support the constitutional status quo.
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