Unity

From Unity, 8 May 2010

Unity is strength

by Lynda Walker

With the results of the poll due to be made public within a day or two, the people of the North have precious little to be thankful for, whatever the results. On the one hand we have a set of politicians, the DUP and the UUP, who are out-and-out conservatives in policy, and proud of it, even to the point of the UUP boosting a pact with the Real Conservatives.
     David Cameron disgraced the UUP by saying that Northern Ireland as a region would be where cuts could be made. He tried to make up for this by flying to Belfast last Tuesday to tell the people at an election rally, “We will continue to fund Northern Ireland according to its needs, and we will tackle the deficit while protecting the front-line services that we rely on.” Now that could mean just about anything.
     On the other hand, we have the SDLP, who are not known for their radical defence of class politics, and Sinn Féin, who do not take their seats in Westminster anyway. In addition to this, the violent attacks that have been taking place by “nationalist republicans” could not have come at a better time for the Unionist politicians. This week there was a pipe-bomb attack on the home of the father of a Catholic police officer. He managed to escape injury. This kind of violent action is allowing the unionists to fall back on “security” issues, something they did most of the time before the ceasefires. It is also a potential threat to the peace process.
     On a live television debate on Tuesday night Reg Empy, UUP leader, spoke in favour of bringing a “visible British army presence” back on the streets of Northern Ireland should the security situation deteriorate any further. Mr Robinson did concede that if the British army was deployed it would show that the situation “was going backwards,” but he said, “If the army is required it should be brought back in.”
     Predictably, the SDLP and Sinn Féin disagreed. Mr Adams said, quite rightly, that such a step would play into the hands of those opposed to peace. “These people are unrepresentative of republicanism . . . You have to accept that those of us who profess to be Irish, who have allegiance to the people of Ireland, find the presence of the British army absolutely unacceptable.”
     The Communist party of Ireland must also add that the presence of the British army is unacceptable and detrimental to all people who live here. To go back to the days when the British army was patrolling the streets would be a victory for those republicans and unionists who do not want peace.
     How many times do we have to say that the people must be won for unity of the class and unity of the country through the political and ideological battles, and not the use of elitist violence? If those people think that they are styling themselves on the campaigns of the ANC or the NLF, then they should study the situation and the different conditions. The biggest show of strength that we had this week was the May Day demonstrations in Belfast, where several thousand people marched together in defence of jobs and against racism and sectarianism. Unity is strength.

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