PETER McEVOY,
Madam, - I read with interest Trevor Ringland's letter headed "Supporting moderates in the North" (October 29th). It brightened my day , as we "moderates in the North" have been depressed of late by the way we have been sidelined by both extremes.
Who is to blame will be hotly disputed. Unionists will point to Colombia, Castlereagh and Stormont. Nationalists will point to North Belfast, the Short Strand and Larne. Either way, once more the moderates have been left without a clear direction, disenfranchised and with an English administration at the wheel.
The fact that 71 per cent of voters north of the Border and 82 per cent south of the Border supported the agreement has been overturned. I am glad to hear Trevor Ringland say that as a unionist he has no difficulty with the concept of uniting the people of Ireland. Well neither have I, nor have I any problem with him remaining a unionist as long as I can remain a nationalist.
Surely, how we share this piece of soil and, to quote John Hume, "spill our sweat and not our blood", is the nub of the problem. If Mr Ringland wants union with England and I want union with Ireland, can this be achieved?
It is a debate which needs to take place and one which we in the SDLP want to get into. Can, for example, the Republic guarantee unionists the protections which they were promised in the Good Friday agreement and at least as good a standard of living? - Yours, etc.,
PETER McEVOY, Chairman SDLP (Newry) , Bridge Street, Newry, Co Down.