SDLP to debate establishment of New Ireland Coalition

The SDLP will debate the establishment of a New Ireland Coalition at its conference this weekend. The new group would create an all island political think tank and campaign group which would explicitly support the SDLP in the North of Ireland.

It is being proposed that the Irish Labour Party, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail would all become members of the coalition with the basic aim of promoting greater debate across the island of island about greater cooperation between the people of Ireland as well as openly and vigorously campaigning for the SDLP as the voice of progressive democratic nationalism in Northern Ireland.

The move is being proposed by the party’s largest branch in Balmoral, south Belfast. It will follow the final report from the All Ireland Working Group which it is believed will recommend that the SDLP continue as an independent, social democratic party and will not seek to merge in the short term with any other party on this island.

Whilst the thinking behind the proposed New Ireland Coalition is hardwired into the SDLP and much of the party’s historic success has been built on establishing and maintaining a consensus on the so called national question between itself and the major parties in the South, it has never been formalised. Doing so now could create a powerful campaigning group to promote greater all island integration whilst recognising the different political outlooks on the island. The simple fact is that a one size fits all political offer will not unite the people of Ireland – Sinn Fein’s poor electoral showings in recent elections south of the border are evidence of this.

A strong all island coalitionexploring the issues and challenges that will face this island over the next generation would create a space for real political debate not just within nationalism but also between the Irish people on this island and those of a British identity. That is simply not happening today. Nor is it likely ever to happen on the basis of a conversation between Sinn Fein and the rest of us on this island. That the proposed New Ireland Coalition would also be a campaigning political group in the North means the ideas generated would have a political vehicle through which to be realised.

The challenge of the next twenty years will be to build the basic infrastructure of the new Ireland.

• To build an all island economy, to strengthen trust and confidence between the Irish and British people of this island and between Northerners and Southerners.
• To shape a sustainable future built on strong foundations, harnessing the opportunity for renewables, catching the innovation wave and translating the island into a job creator and good payer. 

Of course there is also the historic challenge of accepting our differences and identities as a strength and not a threat. The new Ireland will have to rediscover its British roots and unionists will have to feel free to explore their deep Irish ones. This, also, is not happening today and will not happen until someone takes a stand and begins a conversation across the thirty two counties and all political groupings about the sort of island we all want to share in a generation.