This is the very moment to speak out against the old Wolfe Tone trope, that Britain is the source of all Irish ills

Demo in Place de la Républic, Paris  

As is  only to be expected, Chris Donnelly in the Irish News plays the full anti imperialist card against the UK, without regard to variations of interpretation.  He uses a French quotation approvingly as if the  French were purely the  idealists of the Rights of Man and that the revolution  had no downside such as the ruinous attempt to conquer all Europe and the French Empire never existed. All major states were born in a state of nature, where life could be nasty brutish and short. The smaller Irish nation was no exception, with a legacy Chris  smoothly plays down.  Wherever possible, History is bent to serve his cause.

This is of course a great moment to talk about perfidious Albion and there are – equally of course – strong arguments for a united Ireland.  But to believe that Britain  is the source of all our  ills  and  to rely on “perfidious Albion”  as a major argument is likely to prove self defeating among those of any stripe who   recognise the richness of  British culture and democratic  traditions shared throughout the world  and who put reconciliation first.

Brian Walker

Former BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London