Opinion

Allison Morris: Polarising Brexit debate is creating a chill wind

The open letter to taoiseach Leo Varadkar was signed by 200 members of nationalist civic society
The open letter to taoiseach Leo Varadkar was signed by 200 members of nationalist civic society The open letter to taoiseach Leo Varadkar was signed by 200 members of nationalist civic society

Of all the dire predictions that have surrounded the Brexit debate, few could have foreseen just how quickly the outworkings of the referendum would poison relations here in Northern Ireland.

Relationships and agreements that have taken decades to build are crumbling around us, putting them back together again may be an impossible task.

Economically there are few positive predictions about plans to leave the EU, but the long term impact of the economy is such an unknown we'll all just have to wait that one out.

However, more immediate and obvious is the fairly toxic impact of division between those who wish to remain in the EU - or failing that enjoy some kind of special status - and the Brexiteers.

In the case of the north the Brexitiers are confined to two very different camps, a small group of republicans dreaming of a romanticised 'nation once again' and the DUP and their supporters.

The DUP/Tory deal is providing unionists with a power they could previously only have dreamed of.

Although how they've used that power to date has been alarmingly wasteful, pursuing narrow personal agendas.

While they were able to stall last Monday's deal for several days, what was finally agreed on Friday will not change a thing when it comes to how Britain leaves the EU, and publicly embarrassing the British prime minister on an international stage will come back to bite them eventually.

Theresa May seems determined to appease her new partners in government, at the expense of further souring relationships with the nationalist population and hastening the end of her own political career.

Of the six points made in her address to the people of Northern Ireland after last week's deal on phase one of the Brexit talks, five were directly intended to calm the fears of unionists.

A prime minister, unelected by the people of Northern Ireland, overseeing the most monumental political divorce of our lifetime, appears to be disregarding the welfare and wishes of half the children of that doomed marriage.

Growing bad faith between the British government and the other EU member states, demonstrated by the ill-considered words of David Davis, who called the deal on phase one of the negotiations a "statement of intent" is yet more evidence of what a polarising disaster Brexit is shaping into.

European Parliament chief Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt responded saying last Friday's agreement will now be "translated into legal text ASAP".

The 'gentleman's' agreement is now mired in growing distrust and suspicion.

People who have diminishing faith, trust and confidence in each other are negotiating a deal that will impact on our children and our children's children.

The publication in this paper on Monday of an open letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar from almost 200 members of nationalist civic society was an unprecedented development.

While there were some names that would not be widely known and some who have clear and unapologetic republican views there were also people who would have previously never have placed their heads above the parapet.

Why now? Why so publicly with the potential for personal criticism?

It can only be seen as a public declaration of where we are at and where politics in Northern Ireland is heading.

That we still lag so far behind the UK and the Republic of Ireland when it comes to many basic rights and equality based issues, is something that particularly grates with my children's generation.

Those of us who lived through conflict tend to have lower expectations and be politically sceptical, but we should never settle for less and always strive for better.

It is only right that civic society, people in the legal, academic and business world, take a stance on such basic equality issues.

What I don't accept is that this is a problem solely for nationalists.

The outstanding equality issues, if implemented, will be for the betterment of all, creating a fair and equal society for everyone regardless of religious beliefs, ethnic orientation, sexuality, gender or social class.

Brexit is going to change how Northern Ireland is viewed and fares economically.

The border is currently central to the next stage of the trade negotiations.

And while that is a massive political consideration, closer to home we should not forget that we are still part of an incomplete and unfinished peace process.

One that will not be over when only half the population have full rights but when all are treated equally.