Sir, – Newton Emerson tell us that "Since the election, remarkable levels of ignorance and hostility towards unionists have been revealed among the English left and the London media", but he gives no examples (Opinion & Analysis, June 12th). Is he referring to "ignorance and hostility" regarding religious bigotry among the DUP's members? Climate change denial? Wanting creationism taught in schools? Wasting half a billion pounds of British taxpayers' money on the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal? Do tell. – Yours, etc,
PÁDRAIG COLLINS,
Balgowlah,
New South Wales,
Australia.
Sir, – It is ironic that probably the most loyal group of people in the UK should be so vilified and denigrated for the anti-abortion and anti-LGBT rights policy of the DUP. Are those persons not entitled to express their opinions in a democratic way or is that the sole right of those who oppose such opinions ? – Yours, etc,
WILLIAM SHORTLAND,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – People who are calling on Sinn Féin’s MPs to attend Westminster should recall that those candidates were elected on an unambiguously abstentionist platform. They are merely following a party policy that was set out in plain terms to the electorate. – Yours, etc,
MARY DUNNE,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – The almost uniformly negative coverage of the electoral success of the DUP, both in percentage vote and seat count success is, from a rational viewpoint, hard to fathom. Similar successes by other parties in the past have been lauded and admired.
The reality is that having the DUP near the levers of Brexit power has the potential to bring some positive change for Ireland. That party’s business backers advocate a softer Brexit course, which is critical for those who live and work along the Border and which almost everyone agrees is in the island’s overall interest. From a realpolitik viewpoint, maybe it’s time we took a step back, adopted a more positive view, and on this issue at least treated them as friends and not as foes.
Nationalist Ireland has few opportunities for common cause with unionism. We need to change the tone and approach positively any opportunity that challenges that, for all our sakes. – Yours, etc,
Dr PAUL ARMSTRONG,
Lifford,
Co Donegal.
A chara, – If Theresa May is going into government with the DUP, does that mean the Tories are the new Sinn Féin? – Is mise,
JOE McLAUGHLIN,
Bonnyrigg,
Midlothian,
Scotland.
Sir, – At the start of the recent UK election campaign, Brian Boyd wrote a detailed commentary on Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the British Labour Party ("Jeremy Corbyn, Islington Labour and me", Opinion & Analysis, April 25th). Your columnist advised us that "come June 8th, he will lead his party to a worse electoral shellacking than that of Michael Foot in 1983. A dogmatic stubbornness coupled with a reductive/obsolete worldview tends to do that to a political leader."
Perhaps Brian Boyd will now reassess his own “dogmatic stubbornness” gained as a proto-Blairite member of the Islington branch of the Labour Party. – Yours, etc,
GERALD FLYNN,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.