Progressive Unionist Voice

A new (cunningly named) blog is up and running - Progressive Unionist Voice.  There are a variety of interesting posts up already, including MLA John McCallister's interpretation of 'Progressive Unionism'.

I've contributed a guest post too, arguing against unionists who have formed a coalition 'together against the national interest' with separatists across the UK.  And I highlight an argument from Peter Robinson that is so profoundly anti-unionist that it staggers the mind someone who calls himself a unionist would use it.

Comments

Dilettante said…
There are a lot of guest posts on there - is it meant to be a progressive-focused equivalent to Open Unionism, or is there a dedicated blogger behind it?

I confess to being slightly disappointed it wasn't the first PUP-aligned blog. ;)
Owen Polley said…
Not exactly sure whether the guest posts are to get it up and running or whether it hopes to draw together a certain brand of unionist opinion.
Anonymous said…
Boris mustn't be a Unionist either then. He has argued that London needs special treatment, but still why let the facts get in the way of your stereotyping of Peter Robinson and the DUP.
Owen Polley said…
Great point. Have you actually read the blog? Maybe you could get back on the actual content rather than parroting the usual DUP bilge?
Anonymous said…
I leave parroting bilge to a UCUNF addict who can't admit he got it wrong. David Cameron claims he wants to be the Prime Minister for all of the UK. OK, lets accept that (even though I don't actually believe he gives a tinkers cuss about Northern Ireland": there is nothing anti-Unionist about saying that the government needs to adopt a nuanced and different approach to different regions of the United Kingdom. Keep banging away on the tired discredited Ulster nationalist drum all you like, it doesn't make it true.
Anonymous said…
Also, the First Minister of Wales when I last checked was a member of the Labour Party, which I understand is still pro-Union. You see, this is your problem: you think its impossible to be a Unionist outside of the Tory Party. Alas for you, the voters disagree.
Owen Polley said…
Still not read it? It's not about 'a special case'. It's about making a common cause with nationalists and others AIMED at undermining the UK parliament's prerogative to govern in the interests of the whole UK. And it's about Peter Robinson's extraordinary contention that Westminster's sovereignty in NI is limited by commitments to Dublin. Now address the points and read the policy on commenting.
Anonymous said…
It's a very difficult one, this.

There is no doubting the logic of what you write. Of course, a similar logic contends that NI should not benefit from reduced corporation tax as common taxes are a feature of UK membership.

The difficulty is putting that to an electorate which, frankly, is more interested in its quality of life than the detailed logic and outcomes of "Unionism".

Fundamentally, it could be that most "Unionists" are actually more interested in staying out of a "United Ireland" than actually being in the UK playing a full (and constructive) role - or, put another way, that most people who vote "Unionist" aren't actually "Unionist" at all. I don't think this is true, in fact, but certain people in London could be forgiven for thinking it.
Anonymous said…
Carwyn Jones is not committed to ending the Union, neither is Boris when I last checked, nor is Peter Robinson, so in fact the only administration on the paper against the continuance of the Union is the Scottish one, which is propped up in Holyrood by the Tory Party.

A "one-size-fits-all" approach dictated by Dave and George Osborne is not in keeping with a pledge to be a Prime Minister for the entire UK. It is top-down arrogance that will serve to feed the nationalist agenda.
Owen Polley said…
I think you need to read the article and do some background Googling anon. Otherwise this conversation is pointless. As is usually the case with people who don't want to identify themselves. And 90pc of pro DUP posters for some reason fall into that category.
Anonymous said…
It is run by an individual... but they are helped by a small group of students who are mostly based at queens who are attempting to disrupt their own party because basil didn't win. A world where every other unionist is against them... and only they can save anything... unelected unknowns who rather than edging towards a change in politics are edging towards party discipline. The guest posts are a way of attacking the leadership and other unionists or maybe just policy decisions but not being held directly accountable...
Owen Polley said…
Ian,

I take your point. But I'm surprised that the logical extension of Robinson's argument has not been taken up by the UUP. It's one thing to plead special circumstances and to play upon the overwhelming sense of specialness and entitlement which people here have, it's another to invoke the ROI as a guarantor of N Irish 'rights'. Unfortunately I seem to be howling at the moon on this, because no-one in the newspapers seems to give a hoot about the consequences of what Robinson is saying. Maybe we are living in a genuinely 'post-unionist' world.
Progressive Unionist Voice said…
The blog is a way of getting discussion going about many different aspects of unionism and politics here in Northern Ireland. It is not an attack on anyone, and its not to disrupt the UUP. I welcome mature debate about the many issues facing us all, not simply slagging each other off.

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