Sir, – The argument by Britain’s Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker that any united Ireland referendum should have a “super majority”, or 60 per cent, is well-placed (“United Ireland referendum should need ‘super majority’ in North, says Baker”, News, October 23rd).
Every state, if it is to exist, must be founded on consensus. Absence of consensus is the greatest fault-line or cleavage that any nation can have. The Northern Ireland regime from the 1920s was founded on an absence of consensus and a simple majority rule. This created the legacy of a disaffected minority with an ongoing grievance and hostility to the state. Any future united Ireland must not repeat this mistake. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CALLANAN,
Limerick.