Implications of UK General Election for unification of Ireland

As most people are only too well aware. The 2019 United Kingdom General Election was held on Thursday 12 December. Three of the Celtic countries, Scotland, Cornwall and Wales also went to the polls as part of that election. Brittany, Ireland and Isle of Man are, of course, not part of the UK and did not participate in the election. However, that part of Ireland in the northeast where Britain retains a colonial presence did take part. The result was significant. The Unionist Members of the British Parliament, for the first time since the establishment of Northern Ireland 99 years ago, are now in a minority, The election result saw the Unionist parties taking 8 out of the 18 seats in the north of Ireland.  The Democratic Unionist Party suffered a major setback with its Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds losing his seat to Sinn Féin's John Finucane, in the Belfast North parliamentary constituency.

Now there is increasing pressure upon the Irish Government to start preparing for a united Ireland. The present Irish administration continues to show little enthusiasm for the project. However, as time goes on the pressure for the unification will increase. Sinn Féin have been calling for a border poll on a united Ireland for some time. Nevertheless the latest General Election results in the North do not make a vote in favour of a united Ireland inevitable. The Irish government and those that support a united Ireland need to make a strong case in favour and make long term plans and preparation for such a referendum. Not least the Irish government needs to show the people in the north of Ireland, particularly those in the Unionist community, the benefits of belonging in a united Ireland. The majority of people in north voted to remain in the European Union and as Brexit looms, they are nervous about their economic future. There are also a large number of people from the north who now work in the Republic of Ireland, where the economy remains strong. The case for the unification of Ireland grows ever stronger.