After tweeting out these thoughts last week, the reaction I received confirmed to me two things:

1) That nationalism is engaged in this debate (as reiterated by the SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood at the Féile Leaders’ Debate that “nationalism are once again a restless people”)

and

2) As rightly pointed out by former First Minister and DUP Leader Peter Robinson, undeterred by the backlash from certain elements of his party, unionism is sleep walking into this eventuality. 

Despite Twitter being a platform where contributors are chomping at the bit to have a go at you, I amazingly didn’t get one sly dig or push back from anyone defending unionism or the Union. I will absolutely concede that it may be more to do with me allowing my account to evolve into somewhat of an echo chamber of late, but I was still surprised no one wanted to ‘have a go’. This is of course not unique to Twitter or any other platform of engagement, if you’re looking for political unionism to sell you the benefits of voting ‘no’ in any future border poll, you’ll struggle to get anything deeper than the picture of DUP MP Sammy Wilson filling with rage or a re-hashed ‘we are financially better off in the UK’ argument, with nothing of sound value on paper to substantiate such claims.

Work by economists such as Paul Gosling that show the potential value of reunification in real terms and real time is adding meat to the bones of the argument without staining it with ideological aspirations alone:

Economically, Northern Ireland could benefit substantially from merging with the Republic.  The economic policies of Northern Ireland have long been inadequate.  We have underinvested in skills and infrastructure – the core elements of a modern economy.  The Republic has done much better with both, assisted by a lower corporation tax rate.  The result is much higher levels of productivity.  Accountancy and consultancy firm PwC calculates that RoI is an astonishing 60% more productive than NI.

I only wish we’d hear more of the same from unionist commentators and leaders.

To an extent, unionism has been a victim of its own success, choosing a route of protectionism rather than of pragmatism. Likewise, the tribal nature of our politics here and the admittedly very unstable out workings of consociational governance, have left all political parties- unionism included- often unable to build a trajectory on sound economic policy and delivery.

Given that in any eventual new Ireland, one where unionist aspirations will be every bit as valid as those of Nationalists, the DUP will be the only show in town for the unionist electorate, so their hesitance to give this conversation everything they’ve got is incredibly elusive. Whether unionists, specifically the DUP, fear that the very talk of it could result in a self-fulfilling prophecy or that the comfort of their confidence and supply deal has lured them into a false sense of security, only they, the great party of solicitors and accountants, can answer that, but time is ticking and they need to start selling. 

Only two weeks ago I got the coach to Dublin (£16.00 return), touring through the financial quarter, and arriving outside Custom House, where the new seamlessly meets the old. You couldn’t get a seat in a bar (it was a Sunday), the accents of the world melted together, and the European flag hanging outside of our hotel reminded me not of once was, but the potential of what will be for any new Ireland, based on agreement and the endless possibilities that will come with it. But then I was sold some time ago! 

However, as a young-ish person, whose friends aren’t greatly into politics, I try to see this debate through their eyes. They’re pragmatists, they want to live in a society that appreciates their skills and contribution. A society that rewards hard work with financial stability; a sales pitch unionism could have given for decades without uttering a single word, but now as we grow closer to crashing out of the EU, and we continue to struggle without a government for 500+ days, the rules of the game have changed and unionism is no longer winning. 

I know where my constitutional aspirations lie, but when all is said and done, I want to win on the basis that all campaigns give it their everything, and that people went to the ballot box and voted with their head alongside their heart.