POLITICAL leaders have been threatened with legal challenge over part of the New Decade New Approach deal by nationalists who want an Irish unity poll.
The deal reached by political parties underpinned the restoration of the assembly in January after a three-year shut down in the wake of the 'cash for ash' scandal.
As part of the agreement, unionists were promised the appointment of the commissioner to promote what was termed the 'Ulster British tradition' and the Castlereagh Foundation - a fund to explore issues around identity in the north.
However, it has now been claimed that the foundation may be used to channel opposition to any future referendum on a united Ireland.
In recent years, nationalists have been pressing for need for a unity poll especially as Brexit approaches.
Under the Good Friday Agreement a unity vote can only be triggered by a secretary of state.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Derry man Daniel Morrison, who is a member of the campaign group Yes for Unity, which campaign for a united Ireland vote say they recently served with pre-action letters to The Executive Office at Stormont, the Home Office and Secretary of State Brandon Lewis.
Michael Brentnall, of Brentnall Legal, said his client believes the Castlereagh Foundation will be used to influence the outcome of a future vote.
“The applicant submits that the establishment of the Castlereagh Foundation, it seems, is an attempt to prime the northern electorate to favour, or at least be exposed to, political arguments which favour partition,” he said.
“We are instructed to request that the NI Executive decline this funding from the British government, and whilst any request by the executive for funding of the Castlereagh Foundation would be subject to cross-community vote in the executive, our client submits that political consensus does not provide a licence for political discrimination.”
An Executive Office spokesperson said: “We have no record of this correspondence.”
The Northern Ireland Office did not respond.
