According to former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, every party contesting in the upcoming general election has to declare in their manifestos that Irish unity is “an objective, not an aspiration,” reports Breaking News.
The former head of Fine Gael also urged Republic leaders to support the creation of a New Ireland Forum to plan for a reunified Ireland in an interview with The Irish Times.
On Thursday, Mr. Varadkar will expand on his ideas at an address to the SDLP’s New Ireland Commission meeting in Derry.
Doug Beattie, a former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, has questioned why Mr. Varadkar did not advocate for Irish unification during his tenure in government.
“I’m going to be really honest. Wanting a united Ireland is a fair aspiration, but it’s not my aspiration. My aspiration is for a United Kingdom and that’s what I will be doing with my party, is to secure that for everybody within Northern Ireland,” The Upper Bann MLA told Newstalk radio, reports Breaking News.
According to him, Irish politicians “pop up every three months” advocating for a quicker route to unification. “It occurs automatically every three months. That’s okay, and I have no problem with others doing that, but as an Ulster Unionist, I don’t support checking off boxes.
“I’m an Irishman and I’m a proud Irishman, but I’m an Ulster Unionist and I want a United Kingdom and that’s what I’m going to work for. I’ve got to say this as well. He could have said this while he was Taoiseach – he didn’t but he’s doing it now, and that’s fine,” reports Breaking News.
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