Like many others I enjoyed the Netflix film Don’t Look Up. The film has a cast that most directors would give a king’s ransom to assemble, and the actors are clearly having a blast in their respective roles. The film’s theme of deaf ears being turned to expert advice in favour of simplistic populist slogans is very much of our time. The plot could be easily changed from the threat of a comet collision to Covid anti-vaxers, climate change deniers, Biden stole the election, Brexit, or closer to home Mary Lou’s description of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) as a ‘tool kit for unification’. No, it wasn’t, the GFA was designed to stop people, some of whom she might know, from killing their neighbours. A cynic might suggest Mary Lou was trying to undermine whatever wavering unionist confidence and commitment to the GFA remains at this point.
A more likely explanation is that she was keeping the pot boiling, to reassure her northern colleagues they are uppermost in her thoughts and she either wasn’t thinking or didn’t care about unionist sensibilities.
Most of us accept that there is a role and need for experts when navigating serious problems but then questions arise with the experts. Can experts and their advice be truly independent as in the old saying, ‘You do not ask your barber if you need a haircut’?
On the subject of experts, over the past year a local economist has been busy with his abacus estimating the cost of the protocol. Since meaningful and accurate data has not yet been collected and published one might be forgiven for thinking his estimates, like a weather forecast, are subject to some qualification?
Nevertheless, given publicity such opinions have an impact.
Interestingly it was hard to reconcile Lord Frost’s speech last September when he expressed concern at the threat of trade and business being diverted to the sick counties with the economist’s negative perspective. Both could not be right?
We often hear references to the Northern Ireland economy. The word economy itself a bit of an exaggeration, there isn’t one and if there was, two salient facts are worth noting: in terms of turnover Sainsbury’s or Tesco are bigger than NI plc. Secondly, if Northern Ireland was a company, it would have gone bankrupt years ago.
As we move into 2022 some facts are clear, Brexit has been and will continue to be damaging particularly when all the new barriers to trade are fully phased in. Reflecting on this last sentence and the associated collective self-harm, it is hard to believe that elected politicians have knowingly done this.
Last autumn the Office of National Statistics quantified the Brexit economic damage as twice that of Covid. Why anyone, expert or otherwise, would resist steps to mitigate this damage to Northern Ireland escapes me.
But then I am not an expert or a unionist.
FRANK HENNESSEY
Belfast BT9
Kate Hoey’s remarks are to be welcomed
The Kate Hoey remarks are to be welcomed – not for their meaning but for the debate they have sparked. Most people from a Catholic/nationalist background will be well aware that this kind of attitude is still ingrained throughout the north. Most will give examples of blatant discrimination in most areas but especially in employment (I could write a book). The introduction of the Fair Employment Act certainly helped the situation but more often than not only served to drive it underground. This more subtle form of prejudice has persisted but is fighting a rearguard action against the generations of confident, well-educated and unapologetic Fenians who see Irish unity now as a question of not if but when. Unionism has moved from a ‘not-an-inch’ mentality to pleas for sympathy. In unionist circles there is a belated realisation that the hell they put nationalists through only served to temper their resolve and has driven them to improve their lot. Young Catholics still suffer from deprivation and unemployment but so do young Protestants. I agree with Kate Hoey when she says: “I support the ongoing work to encourage those, especially from working-class loyalist communities, to engage in education and seek entry to professional vocations such as journalism, law and public service” – but not her reasoning. The days when unionists were assured of jobs in engineering and shipbuilding are over but the sense of entitlement still lingers. This, and poor leadership, has demotivated young people in unionist areas and this must be tackled if we are ever to have a fair and equal society as envisioned by the constitution. Kate Hoey should be careful what she wishes for – a well-educated unionist electorate may just vote for unity. Those, at least, that can rise above their cultural programming.
GERARD HERDMAN
Aontú, West Belfast
Think before you vote
So let’s see if I have this right. The regionally devolved assembly gave approximately 1.4 million people £100 each to encourage shoppers to return to the high street in the pre-Christmas period of 2021, in order to fill the corporate bank accounts with up to £140 million of public money and to keep the tills ringing and the pockets of the capitalists bulging with our cash?
Utility bills we were warned were going to sky rocket and it is now forecast household fuel bills may increase by as much as £750 annually?
The assembly response to this catastrophe will be to give 20,000 households a maximum of £100.
More than one million people, many of whom did not need £100 got it, and people in desperate need of state aid will now be refused. All 20,000 households eligible for the financial relief scheme will need to apply for these discretionary grants.
Every person in receipt of benefits should be paid £750 to combat these profit-driven rises in their heating costs.
We know who the political elite side with. The rich, the affluent and the greedy.
We know who they stand against – the deprived the desperate and the needy.
Remember that come May when they want your vote.
FRA HUGHES
Belfast BT14
Concern Worldwide values your support
On behalf of Concern Worldwide, I would like to thank Irish News readers for their valued support in 2021.
Last year was a tough one for all of us. But imagine how much more difficult it was for the 235 million people in the world’s poorest countries who faced hunger, displacement and extreme poverty in 2021.
However, thanks to the generosity of supporters in this part of the world, our teams on the ground were able to respond to many of those needs and provide life-saving assistance.
As we enter another year overshadowed once more by Covid and many other challenges, it is a tremendous source of encouragement to know that the people here remain as committed as ever to Concern’s work to provide life-changing support to the world’s most vulnerable communities at the most difficult of times.
PETER ANDERSON
NI Director, Concern Worldwide
