By Sean Oliver
18 July 2013
This year sees the 15th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, brought in under a Labour government and coming out of a peace process hailed as one of the most successful conflict resolution processes in the world. However, as Ireland north and south face the same economic challenges and crises as the rest of the world, there is also a strong case to keep the issue of Ireland on the political agenda in Britain and not see the Agreement as the end of the process.
Recent years of Tory government have seen attempts to roll back key elements of the Agreement, and a failure to implement its outstanding issues. When what is needed is a renewed focus on the next phase of the peace process, the current government have had the opposite approach. Important issues, such as a Bill or Rights and a serious process of reconciliation and dealing with the past, remain. Fundamentally, the issue of Britain’s future relationship with Ireland – and the issue of Ireland’s constitutional future – have to be resolved.
The political, social and economic changes across Ireland point to the necessity for a serious debate on Irish unity to continue. Sinn Féin have been putting this forward for some years and are renewing this discussion at a major conference in London on 19 October ‘Towards a new Ireland’. Drawing in an incredibly wide range of speakers, the event will address this new phase in the peace process as well as crucial issues such as the economic way forward during a time of cuts and austerity and developing a progressive alternative for a future Ireland based on democracy and equality.
As Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams recently put it, “the great tasks facing this generation of Irish citizens is to fix our broken economy, rebuild our society and unite our people and our country”. He correctly argues that this cannot be led “by the politics and the politicians who created and contributed to the economic crisis” and outlines Sinn Féin’s alternative for a united Ireland based on a progressive economic policy, including state-led investment at its core to stimulate growth, create jobs, defend and extend the welfare state and worker rights, alongside social equality and rights for all.
Sinn Féin has been arguing for a Border poll, as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement, “as a key part of the process of building a modern and dynamic New Republic on this island – an agreed Ireland achieved by peaceful and democratic means”.
Gerry Adams also pointed out that while the events in Belfast around 12 July were deplorable, elsewhere, literally hundreds of Orange marches went without incident and that the root of the violence in Belfast lay in the refusal of the Orange leadership to talk to their neighbours — and in the inflammatory speeches in the lead up to the Twelfth. As ever, dialogue is the way forward.
At the conference on 19 October there will be a huge opportunity for discussion and dialogue. Importantly, the event in London will bring a renewed focus upon the current British government and any future government.
Gerry Adams will discuss this new phase alongside former Downing Street Chief of Staff and key player in the peace process, Jonathan Powell and other leading political figures, including the leaders of the new NI21 party, Irish Labour MEP Nessa Childers and British MPs including Diane Abbott. An important session on ‘Reconciling the past – looking to the Future’ will see Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty discuss with Colin Parry, from the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation and former British soldier and current Conservative MP Kris Hopkins. Former NI Minister Angela Smith and Deputy NI Equality Commissioner Jane Morrice will also join the platform alongside commentator and journalist Roy Greenslade. CWU Ireland Secretary Cormac O Dalaigh, NI Ethnic Minorities head Patrick Yu and Sinn Féin’s youngest senator Kathryn Reilly will map out the future ‘island of equals’ and other contributors on the key role of the Irish diaspora in Britian will include Jeremy Corbyn MP, academics Mary Hickman from the Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad campaign, Marianne Elliot from Liverpool University and chief exec of the Irish in Britain organisation, Jennie McShannon. Economist Michael Burke, Labour Irish activist Christine Quigley and Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy MP will discuss Ireland’s economic future.
The weekend promises to be a serious discussion on the next steps.
This article first appeared on the Socialist Unity website.