Madam, - In his article on developments in unionist thinking, Paul Gillespie suggests (August 23rd) that "new unionism" has the potential to make a significant contribution to the political process in the North. In particular, he makes reference to the Cadogan Group, which aims to advance an intellectual defence of the Union. Mr Gillespie views this as a "challenging" development.
However, a more critical analysis of this intellectual project will reveal that while the discourse of "new unionism" may be different, its arguments are essentially indistinguishable from the intransigent politics that have characterized traditional unionist thinking.
Mr Gillespie cites the Cadogan Group's most recent pamphlet, Picking Up the Pieces, Northern Ireland after the Belfast Agreement, which argues that the results of the December 2001 census "indicate that constitutional change is effectively off the agenda. . . Unionists and nationalists now have to face the reality that they have to live with each other within the United Kingdom - probably forever".
In other words, nationalists should relinquish their national aspirations. The Union, then, is to be viewed as a fait accompli, sacrosanct and inalienable.
Significantly, the implication of this is that there should be no parity of political esteem. Indeed, nationalists are condescendingly urged to embrace British citizenship, a notion which reflects the views expressed by Mr Trimble last year when he remarked that the Republic was a "sectarian" state in contrast to the multiculturalism of Britain.
The line of thinking advanced by "new unionism" ignores current political realities. Its stance on the Union is intransigent. As Prof Liam O'Dowd has remarked, "the 'new unionists' may be more secular, articulate and middle-class than the Orange Order, the loyalist paramilitiaries or Paisley's supporters, but, so far, they show few signs of being more constructive in their approach to political dialogue and agreement".
The coming months will be crucial in the peace process. Given that there is no viable alternative to the Belfast Agreement, both the British and Irish governments must move decisively to secure the integrity of the Agreement by calling elections this autumn. - Yours, etc.,
LAURENCE MARLEY, Gortadooey, Claregalway, Co Galway.