Varadkar surprises with Irish unity ideas

Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has spoken out strongly to urge greater focus and energy among Irish political representatives on the journey to Irish unity.

His intervention at an event in Derry included an impressive series of novel suggestions, proposals and plans. In particular, Mr Varadkar called for a New Ireland Forum to be established to plan the journey to Irish unity, and he urged all of the parties to make Irish unity an objective, not an aspiration, ahead of the general election.

The former Fine Gael leader, who stepped down as Taoiseach in April, also said that there is “no reason” that Stormont, the seat of the Six County Assembly, could not host the Dáil.

Mr Varadkar developed his thoughts in a speech in Derry to a meeting of the SDLP’s New Ireland Commission, including a number intended to appeal to unionists.

New ideas would have to be contemplated by everyone in favour of unification, he said, including possibly having a president and a vice-president, where one of the offices would have to be held by a British citizen.

In a post-unification state, the Dáil could sit in Stormont at times while an enlarged cabinet of perhaps 20 ministers might have a guaranteed number of British passport-holders.

“A new Ireland is likely in the coming decades but it is by no means certain,” he said.

A united Ireland “will have almost a million people who are British,” he said. “We should accept that ... [we should] try to design a united Ireland with them, so it’s their home too.”

In a press conference afterwards, Mr Varadkar expanded on his views, saying “there should be a section on Northern Ireland making unification not just an aspiration but an objective” in the manifesto of every party running for government in the 26 Counties.

Varadkar also contradicted his successor as Taoiseach, Simon Harris, who said on taking office that Irish unity is “an aspiration, but not a priority”.

Speaking to the media in the US ahead of the Derry event, he said:

“For a lot of people, unification is an aspiration, it’s an idea. Whereas I think it needs to become an objective for the next government in Ireland, no matter who’s in that government.

“I’m not saying it should just be in the Fine Gael manifesto, I’m saying that it should be in the manifesto of all the parties.”

Unity is not “inevitable”, he said: “[But] I think almost all trends point towards unification in the next few decades. I can’t put a timeline, but in the next few decades. There are lots of different things in its favour.

“There are the demographics, the fact that the Republic is so much more prosperous now than the North, and then also that Brexit has changed the UK’s relationship with Europe and the rest of the world.”

The TD, who is not seeking re-election, said he would like to see all parties support strengthening the ‘Shared Island’ unit which currently operates as an initiative of the Dublin government, although with little effect.

“It also means increasing the Shared Island Fund and it means things like a New Ireland Commission, involving anyone who is willing to take part in it from politics and civil society,” he added.

“The principle is simply there in the Good Friday Agreement that a simple majority is enough, and I don’t think, if there was a simple majority that you could say that that’s not good enough.

“So, 50 plus one is enough but it not what we want and that’s why I think we need, as much as possible, to co-design what that New Ireland looks like, people north and south and then people from the British unionist community as well,” said Mr Varadkar.

The Dublin West TD said the principle under the Good Friday Agreement, that people can be “British, Irish, both and should be accepted as such” should be “taken forward into a United Ireland”.

“One thing that could be considered is the use of Stormont for parliamentary sessions at certain times in the year like South Africa does with Cape Town and Pretoria, the same could be done for the higher courts,” he added.

“We could reform the presidency to create a vice-presidency running on a ticket with at least one being a British citizen.”

Mr Varadkar also suggested reform of Seanad Éireann to give “guaranteed representation to the minority for a period or permanently”.

The former premier said a unified Ireland would also need to strike international defence agreements and partnerships in order to protect its seas and airspace.

At the Derry event, Mr Varadkar also proposed a two-stage referendum process for a potential future vote on the reunification of Ireland.

Mr Varadkar suggested an initial vote where people on both sides of the border would decide whether they agree “in principle” with constitutional change, and then a final “confirmatory” ballot once the structures and constitution of the new political entity were designed and presented to the public.

In regard to his proposed two-stage referendum, Mr Varadkar acknowledged that it could prove controversial.

“A lot of people think that’s a bad idea, because they want the clear question first, but it’s not one that I think should be thrown out. It’s something I think should be thought about.

“And I’m conscious that the new [British] prime minister, Keir Starmer, actually advocated this approach in relation to Brexit, called for a second vote on the deal. So it’s not an entirely crazy idea, and one that’s been suggested before.”

Mr Varadkar acknowledged that many unionists and loyalists do not wish to engage in discussions about Irish unification. But he said a yes vote in the initial “in principle” ballot might persuade sceptics to get involved in the process of designing the new state.

“I do think there are people who come from a Protestant background, or come from a Protestant/unionist/loyalist background who don’t necessarily vote for the unionist parties anymore, who might be interested in engaging.

“They might vote Alliance, they might vote SDLP or Green, or they might not vote at all.

“So I do think there are people, and I’ve met them, who are interested in having this conversation, and they’re coming from a background that traditionally would be Protestant or unionist, but it is one of the ideas why I think there is some merit in considering a two-stage referendum, because if we had the first stage and people north and south voted for unification in principle, I think you might then get a larger number who would accept the democratic outcome, and then might be willing to engage in the co-design of what that new Ireland looks like.”

Mr Varadkar said the concept of “accommodating” people from a British identity in a new Ireland did not go far enough.

“It’s really important that we don’t just try to accommodate them in a new Ireland, but that we try and design the new Ireland with them, so that’s their home too,” he said.

“Somebody said to me once that they really don’t like the word ‘accommodation’, because accommodation, it’s like a hotel, or it’s a B&B, it’s somewhere where you get to stay, but it’s not really your home.

“And what we have to do to make sure a united Ireland works is to make sure that we co-design this, at least with those who are willing to talk to us about it, and we make accommodations or make changes and concessions that I think would work.”

Mr Varadkar said while he felt that unity would be achieved in the coming decades, he cautioned it was by no means certain.

He said that was why preparation was vital, as he warned that a no vote in any referenda would knock the issue “off the agenda for a long time”.

The ex-Fine Gael leader said unification was becoming a more attractive prospect for a variety of factors.

He said the opportunity of the north of Ireland re-joining the EU through unification was one pull factor.

Mr Varadkar also said the economy, health service, childcare support and welfare system were all in a better state in the South than the North. than in Northern Ireland.

“So I think we’re in a very different place than we were 100 years ago, or 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago,” he said.

“The case for unification and the arguments for unification are a lot stronger than they were then, because of the things that have changed.”

Responding to Mr Varadkar’s remarks, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said on Thursday she is glad the former taoiseach has found his “inner Shinner” in voicing his commitment to a United Ireland.

She described it as a welcome but “belated” contribution for Mr Varadkar.

“This is where every political party should be. This is a big opportunity for our island to consolidate peace, to finally reach a future point of reconciliation and to benefit from the huge economic and social and political opportunity that will present to us.”

“To us, this is a no-brainer. Of course, it has to be more than rhetoric. A soundbite is not enough.

“Those that are committed to reunification recognise there has to be a citizen’s assembly, a structured democratic conversation.

“There has to be commitment to the holding of referendums. That’s really the issue here.

“If you believe that we support and enforce all of the Good Friday Agreement, well then you have to have a commitment to the holding of referendums.

“That’s the point at which the people have their say.

“I very much hope that every single political party will make clear-cut commitments on this regard, not just to move from an aspiration to an objective, but rather to move from an objective to an active plan of action.

“I hope that will be the case for Fine Gael. I wonder, will the Taoiseach now make absolutely clear that the position of Fine Gael is now finally to recognise the need for referendums, the need for planning.”

Ms McDonald’s comments were then put to Mr Varadkar, as he was asked why he was being more outspoken on the issue of unification since he had stood down as Taoiseach.

“One of the advantages of not being involved in electoral politics now is I’m more free to say what I think and do what I think is right,” he said.

“Whereas you know, when you’re Taoiseach, when you’re a leader of a political party, you have to think about how your party’s going to react, how your coalition partner is going to react, how the media might interpret it, how it might be heard in London, for example.

“And, look, I’m less concerned about those things. Constraints come with office, and you accept them, but when you don’t hold office anymore, you don’t have the same level of constraints.”

At the party’s annual conference at the weekend, Sinn Fein committed to move the remit of the north of Ireland away from the Department of Foreign Affairs – a longstanding insult for northern nationalists – to the Department of the Taoiseach, in order to put planning for a United Ireland “at the heart of government”.

Ms McDonald said it is was not a sustainable position for the British government to rule out referendum provisions contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms McDonald said governments in Dublin and London “can’t continuously delay and dither”.

“The referendums will happen,” she said, adding: “The challenge for both governments is to prepare and have that inclusive, respective and mature dialogue that we have called for.”

Urgent Appeal