Madam, - We are living at a time when history is being made. Some recent events call for analysis.
In the North, Sinn Féin consolidated its position among nationalists. Yet south of the Border, the party became a political irrelevance in the recent election. Events in unionism are no less remarkable. The DUP has entered a partnership government along with Sinn Féin after totally opposing that in the past.
The other major change which needs to be considered in the longer term. It is the joint project between Britain and Ireland based on recognising the validity of both the nationalist and unionist traditions. The carefully balanced relationships will not be jeopardised by those governments.
We can hardly overstate the change in unionism. I believe it is real and is going to last. Unionists have made their peace with nationalists in the North, and with the rest of the island. I believe the change the DUP has made is deeply considered, and that the party recognises the full implications.
We should not underestimate the pragmatism of the DUP. They have a determination to provide a better economic future. They know that achieving this requires a high level of cross-border co-operation. They will use the North-South structures and the benefits of the National Development Plan.
Not everything in broad unionist culture has changed. At first glance issues like parades, bonfires and flags continue as before, but these things are being re-evaluated within unionist communities.
The central point is that political change creates a new situation for northern nationalism. It is clear that in the Republic voters based their decisions on the economy and public services. A mature and healthy democracy was at work. Policies and competence to govern were examined ruthlessly. In that test, Sinn Féin was almost totally rejected by the electorate. Rhetoric about being an all-Ireland party counted for nothing.
The nationalist electorate in the North voted on an entirely different basis. While there was a desire to deal with water charges, health and education, the central question remained the forming of a government. Recognising that the DUP was going to be the dominant voice of unionism, a majority of nationalists backed Sinn Féin. It was not a vote about policies. It could probably be described as a vote about "brand". In a mature political system, there would be a substantial connection between the perceived brand of a political party and its policies. That connection is weaker in the North, where other elements play strongly into the brand. For northern nationalists, qualities such as "Irishness" and "strength in standing up for our side" seem to be significant.
But the nature of our politics may change as people see hard choices being made. The strong relationship between the Irish and British governments alters traditional approaches to the "border question". Simplistic, usually emotional, approaches to this issue may have less relevance. We will continue to see more development in North-South relationships and whole-island approaches - the economic imperative will determine that. Progress will be incremental but it will be real.
Eoghan Harris, writing in the Sunday Independent, contends that old-fashioned rhetorical Sinn Féin is dead in the Republic. In the North, he advises it to go for the social democratic centre. This would mean casting off its claims for true Irishness, which are in fact bogus. It would mean it could no longer construct a mythology about its past which ignores the death and destruction caused by the republican movement.
Harris omits to mention that the SDLP has been and remains at the social democratic centre. We agree that social democracy is the place for northern nationalism, but the SDLP has been and remains in that place.
The SDLP believes its core values stand up to scrutiny. As we get more normality in politics here, there is reason to expect a return to our social democratic position. We can have confidence in what we stand for. Modern nationalism needs those who share those values to reassert themselves. - Yours, etc,
DECLAN O'LOAN SDLP North Antrim MLA, Ballymena, Co Antrim.