Hilary and Keir: An Irish Joke
“A Northern Ireland opinion poll recently recorded that 66% of the population there wanted the government to detail its criteria for calling a border poll.”
By Geoff Bell
First published on labouroutlook.org
Sometimes, it is difficult to take the current Labour colonial administration in Northern Ireland seriously. It is becoming a caricature: like some nineteenth century English absentee landlord who assures himself and tells everyone else that his Irish peasants are a happy contented bunch, with limited mental development and that any thoughts they have of ruling themselves are as rare as they are ridiculous.
Step forward, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn, who like these old landlords, only got to be where he is because he is a son of a certain somebody. Although in his case that somebody, Tony, had a political, social and cultural understanding that poor Hilary seems unable to grasp and even less wishes to inherit. He instead lives in a world of his own making, visionless and uncomprehending.
The latest manifestation of Hilary’s behaviour was on 5 November when he gave an audience of journalists an example of not so much his thoughts but rather lack of thinking.
He said: “Nobody is arguing that there is an appetite for constitutional change here in Northern Ireland”, and that accordingly: “the prospect of a border poll is way off in the distance.”
Well Hilary, much as it may upset you, sometimes it is better to face reality, to move away from the world you would like it to be to the world that really is. In that real world the party advocating most militantly for constitutional change, Sinn Féin, has never been as popular as it is today in Northern Ireland, as its victories in elections for councils, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the British general election in Northern Ireland show. In that real world the people of the South of Ireland have just elected as President someone who has put Irish reunification at the top of her agenda. In that real world a community-based organisation, Ireland’s Future has, over the last couple of years held many enthusiastic and well attended meetings, throughout all of Ireland, discussing how to build a new 32 county state and society. In that real world even the British House of Commons’ own library has recently produced a briefing paper on a Northern Ireland border poll. In that real world a Northern Ireland opinion poll recently recorded that 66% of the population there wanted the government to detail its criteria for calling a border poll.
And so on and so on, through many books, academic papers and political parties, all centred on discussing reunification. A few days after Benn spoke the leader of the Irish Labour Party called upon the British and Irish governments to set a timetable for a border poll, joining the Alliance Party and SDLP in making this call.
But poor Hilary does not wish to live in this world. He insists: “And I think we’d all be advised to be concentrating on the issues of the moment, the needs of today.” Yes Hilary, of course, but we have to politely to explain to you that the reason that reunification is attracting many conversations and much support is that your little colony of Northern Ireland has proven itself so inadequate in providing for the “needs of today”, both in the past and presently, that there is a thirst to construct a different model.
But that too seems a reality beyond Hilary’s capacity to comprehend. So, in that same series of 5 November announcements he also declared that the Labour government in which he serves is a “unionist” one. Now it might be unsettling for him, but can he point out where in the Labour Party manifesto this was stated? Or when the national executive of his party voted for this? Or the party conference voted for this? No, he cannot. Again, Hilary lives a world as he wants it be. He is unionist, so he stamps his feet, shakes his rattle and threatens to throw his toys out of his pram if anyone says there is better, more sensible way.
It is not all Benn’s fault that he acts as he does and says as he says. He is being encouraged in all this by his boss Keir Starmer, who indulges him, who feeds Hilary’s perceptions and behaviour, who even carries around a red, white and blue unionist flag that he displays at every available opportunity. Indeed, this may well be where Hilary gets his delusions from, for Keir once stated that he would campaign in Ireland against reunification if there was a vote on the issue.
Those favouring unification are unlikely to discourage him from this, as it would be worth more than a few votes for their cause if Keir stuck to his promise. But for the moment Keir’s and Hilary’s Irish world is one of delusions and make believe. Fortunately, like those landlords of old, they have neither the vision nor the substance to last much longer. And, like the landlords, they will not be missed.
Geoff Bell is an executive member of Labour Movement for Irish Unity. His latest book is The Twilight of Unionism – you can order a copy from Verso book here.