Make history Andy, and make socialist history

‘Ireland 2030. Let the People Vote’ fringe meeting at this year’s TUC was a great success. The four speakers were both engaging and challenging – sounding a call to action to raise the issue of Irish self-determination in every trade union branch, trades council and political party in Britain.

Below is a section of Geoff Bell’s speech. Geoff is a historian and author and LMIU’s political education officer.

The meeting drew about 50 people despite other meetings being held at the same time by Labour Unions, Cuba Solidarity and Greens.

This was the fifth year a fringe meeting on Ireland has been held at TUC and our aim is to extend these to individual trade union conferences throughout our campaign.

Speech of Geoff Bell, Labour Movement for Irish Unity, at TUC LMIU fringe meeting, 14 September.

“Well, let us be quite honest about this. The British Labour movement is today in a rather big mess over Ireland.

Andy Burnham’s recent statements have now placed him to the right of not only Gordon Brown, who recently said Irish reunification was inevitable, but Donald Trump who said twice in Ireland in the last couple of days that he supports Irish unity.

There is also another comparison by a columnist in today’s Irish News (14 September): “We did not have to wait long for Andy Burnham to confirm he is the latest in a long list of UK prime ministers who often struggle to speak coherently and confidently about Irish issues…..Tony Blair had many failings…but he was the only one who entered office with a clear understanding of Irish history and a related determination to encourage the search for progress.”

So, there we have it: as far as Ireland is concerned, Andy Burnham is more ignorant and less progressive than Trump, Brown and Blair.

Of course, there may be those who say supporting Irish reunification is not progressive, but surely supporting self-determination for Ireland is, or should be what a British socialist should embrace: a country ruled by its own people. If it is good enough for Ukraine, it is good enough for Ireland.

Andy showed his ignorance of Ireland in at least two different ways. First, he said that a border poll was “not on the table”.

But what has been happening over the last few years?

·      A debate on not just reunification but what a new Ireland should look like. This has included discussions on justice, a proper health service, housing, civil rights, and trade union rights.

·      This has been led by a 32 counties organisation called Ireland’s Future who have held public conferences in every major city and town in Ireland.

·      A commitment by all major parties in the south of Ireland to seek Irish re-unification.

·      Policy proposals on this by the two nationalist parties in the North.

·      Opinion polls showing support for a referendum, North and South.

·      The junior government party in the South, Fine Gael. preparing its own detailed paper on the hows and when of reunification.

·      Countless books and academic studies on the virtues of reunification.

·      In Westminster, the House of Commons’ own library has produced a significant briefing on a border poll.

And so on and so on. Andy, an Irish Border poll and Irish self-determination is not only on the table, but on your table, in your office, in your living room, outside your window, and discussed here at the TUC.

And it is not going away. The tempo is increasing. Micheal Martin, Ireland’s Taioseach has now said that it is not right that the decision on when to call a border poll and the criteria for doing so should be in the sole hands of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. That is an advance from the Good Friday Agreement.

This is just one more indication of the Irish public’s pressure for a border poll and for public debate on Ireland’s future.

But on the GFA, Andy has got it all wrong in another way. He said that a border poll and reunification will only be possible if there is “consensus” in Ireland. Wrong. The UK’s Northern Ireland Act of 1998 that implemented the GFA said there should be a border poll “If at any time it appears likely…that a majority of those voting [in NI] should cease to want be a part of the United Kingdom.” A majority, not consensus. Of course we would like everyone to agree. But where in politics is that condition applied? Certainly not in elections. The qualification for “consensus” on reunification has been insisted on by the Unionist parties in the North. It is embarrassing for Labour Party members that its leader is now parroting these. And in doing so is in breach of the Good Friday Agreement.

We in LMIU believe that recent opinion polls and election results give substance to a view that this majority the GFA spoke about is there. We believe a referendum should take place before or in 2030. We believe that this should be properly prepared, well in advance. We believe that the people of Ireland, all Ireland, should be allowed to vote on their own future. It is not really a great deal to ask for. But it is a great deal to refuse.

And LMIU also believe that any even half-decent, half-socialist, half-informed Labour prime minister should not only commit himself to this, but do so with enthusiasm. Make history Andy, and make socialist history.”

LMIU’s next meeting will be at Labour Party conference fringe, under the ‘Arise – festival of left ideas’ umbrella on 28th September at 1pm in Liverpool Friends Meeting House, 22, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BT.