Ulster Unionism and Loyalism

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Ulster Unionism and Loyalism
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Reading

• Tonge (2002) ch. 4
• McGarry and OLeary,(1995) Explaining Northern
  Ireland ch.3.
• Dixon (2001) Northern Ireland The Politics of
  War and Peace ch.1
• Todd, J.R. (1987) Two traditions in Unionist
  political culture, Irish Political Studies, 2,
  pp. 1-26. 

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How the terms are used

• Unionism supporting the political union with
  Great Britain
• Loyalism loyalty to the sovereign
• Used to distinguish moderate from extreme,
  violent from non-violent

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Unionism as ideology

• Preserving the Union with Great Britain
• A conservative ideological core
• An ideology that rejects ideology
• Traditional institutions monarchy and religion
• Imperialism
• Unionism was enthusiastically Imperialist and
  emphasised Northern Irelands place in the
  British Empire . It fits much more awkwardly with
  Britain as a nation-state.

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• Labour Unionism
• Leftist elements always a presence within
  Unionism
• Welfare state, working-class solidarities
• Unionists as nationalists
• Arguing that there is an Ulster Protestant nation
• Asserting a right to self-determination for this
  people
• Difficulties with Ulster Protestant nationalism

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• Loyalty to a Protestant monarchy
• The paradox of rebellious loyalists
• Loyalism and a changing monarchy

Belfast mural photographed by Jonathan McCormick,
cain.ulst.ac.uk
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Belfast mural photographed by Jonathan McCormick,
cain.ulst.ac.uk
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Two Traditions in Unionist Political Culture

• Article by Jennifer Todd
• Ulster loyalism
• An ethnic nationalism
• Exclusionary
• Religion and politics inextricably linked
• Loyalty to Great Britain is secondary

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• Ulster British
• A civic nationalism
• Liberal values
• Accepting cultural and religious diversity
• Separating religion from politics
• Strong loyalty to the United Kingdom as a whole
• The Republic of Ireland a "pathetic, sectarian,
  mono-ethnic, monocultural state
• David Trimble, former Ulster Unionist Party
  leader, 2002.

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Varieties of Unionism

• Devolutionists
• Reactionaries
• Reformists
• Power-sharers
• Integrationists

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• All Devolutionists Now?
• All in favour of power-sharing?
• The comforts of Direct rule
• (and the threat of Plan B)
• Why integration is not an option
• A sea-change Unionists embrace parallel consent

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The Comforts of Direct Rule

• "It will be no major disadvantage to the unionist
  people if the Belfast Agreement is never seen
  again, and we work at Westminster to make direct
  rule more acceptable and seek more powers for
  local government throughout the province.
• David Burnside UUP MP
• 5/1/04 Belfast Telegraph

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(No Transcript)
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Key Unionist Arguments

• Irish nationalism is the problem
• Secession from the United Kingdom the root cause
• The illegitimacy of Irish nationalism
• The Easter Rising was an act of terrorism
  directed against the British state
• Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP MP, 2006
• Weaknesses in this argument a problematic
  British political context
• Alternative Unionist approaches - two countries

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• The Republic of Ireland a central cause of
  conflict
• Articles 2 and 3
• The Republic as safe haven
• The Republican leadership in Dublin
• Weaknesses in this argument Northern Catholics
  not taken seriously

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• The economic benefits of the Union
• Belonging to a large and powerful economy
• Generous public services
• The challenge of the Celtic Tiger
• A serious challenge
• a flash in the pan
• Its all European money
• Public services still better in the UK