Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has called for politicians and the public to set aside fanciful talk of a united Ireland and unite instead to isolate and eliminate the threat from those who are still wedded to violence.  

Lord Empey said:

“The terrible attack on a young family at Dungiven this week should bring all politicians to their senses. There, in the pursuit of a so called ‘United Ireland’, terrorists were quite prepared to murder a mother and her young child. What kind of country are they trying to create from such vile acts? Who do they think would ever want to live in it? There isn’t much sign of a shared island from these fascists.

“The reality is there is no consensus for a United Ireland and never has been in the last 100 years. Whilst we must always treat polls with the usual health warnings, the most recent one indicated that there is still no great support for Irish unity on either side of the border and certainly not in Northern Ireland. It is fanciful to suggest otherwise.

“We should be concentrating our efforts on improving the life of people in both jurisdictions instead of creating more bitterness and strife in a totally outdated and pointless struggle. We have the mechanisms at our disposal already. In 1998 we agreed a way forward with the referendum on the Belfast Agreement, which recognised Northern Ireland’s constitutional position as part of the UK. We should pursue this democratically endorsed Agreement in all its aspects as the best way ahead for all. If we want to talk about any kind of unity it should be about uniting as a people and a society against all those who still use or threaten violence.

“It is only by the grace of God are we not facing the funeral of an innocent young family this weekend, thanks to the actions of those still wedded to the failed and false doctrine of physical force republicanism. Somebody knows who those bombers are. By making the police aware of their identity, they would be doing all of us in our great diversity, a great service.”