Welcome to the online home of the Irish Unionist Alliance.

We are a small but growing group of people, organised in the form of an exploratory committee and based mostly in the Irish Republic. Our aim is to explore the potential for building a sustainable unionist movement here, which would help to strengthen the friendship and links between the peoples of the British Isles. To this end we decided to publish this website, along with our discussion paper - "A New Union for a New World" - in order to stimulate debate.

If you want to help us out, or if you would just like to tell us what you think of the site, you are welcome to get in touch by emailing through the info@irishunionism.org email address.

Do enjoy your visit to our site and, if you wish, you can submit feedback below.

David Christopher (Website Administrator), Dublin, Ireland.

Introduction

Introduction:
We hope to break the nationalist consensus in Irish politics. This is a long term project; we are realistic about what we can achieve in the short run. We want to promote a more balanced understanding of the Union on all levels of Irish life - from the classroom to the public house. Our vision is a global one, in tune with the rapid change of the times in which we live. We will build links with groups who share our aspirations across the Commonwealth and the world.

We believe in an ongoing process of reconciliation, which we hope one day may overcome all the artificial political divisions between the peoples of these islands. But whilst we have legitimate unionist aspirations, we have our feet firmly on the ground. Our focus is on what is achievable, and on what we can contribute to the shared political life of these islands, rather than on distant constitutional fantasies. It is just as legitimate to be a Dubliner of unionist disposition, as it is to be a Dubliner of nationalist disposition.

Whilst we do not exclude the possibility of contesting elections in the future, we have no immediate plans to do so. We believe that such efforts would divert our attention from our real task which is changing public opinion and creating a new intellectual atmosphere in which positive political developments can take place. We do not believe in further fragmentation of the unionist vote. Hence we pledge not to stand candidates in Northern Ireland, whilst reserving the right to do so in constituencies in the South.

Our membership is open to anyone throughout the British Isles, and we welcome supporters from elsewhere. There is no membership fee as such, but we suggest a donation of Ł10stg (or 15 Euros). For a growing organisation such as ours funds are always needed, and you can rest assured your money will be used at the 'sharp end' of the debate.

There are numerous advantages to using the internet to an organisation like ours. We are particularly impressed by the way in which the internet allows us to communicate across national boundaries. The future is not on the side of those whose imaginations are limited by geography. Not all our members wish to be publicly identified at the moment, and the internet helps preserve their anonymity. So, we intend to maintain and develop this web site to the very highest standards, and would welcome any feedback you may care to give.

Mission Statement

There is increasing debate about the future of Ireland. In this environment, the exploratory committee of the Irish Unionist Alliance have approved the following Mission Statement, setting out our aims, objectives and key tasks. The statement emphasises our determination to promote and protect the identity of British & Unionist people across Ireland, in order that we can better contribute to the shared task of building an increasingly pluralist society in a new and closer association with the United Kingdom.

MISSION

The mission of the Irish Unionist Alliance is to represent its members and to work towards a new federal relationship between the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

OBJECTIVES

To work for the creation of a new, dynamic and prosperous Ireland within a Federal United Kingdom.

To promote a more balanced understanding of the Union among the Irish people.

To protect and promote the interests of the British / Unionist minority in the Irish Republic.

To support the creation of a genuinely pluralist and inclusive society across Ireland.

To support and seek to enhance the role of the British Isles Council (BIC).

To work towards Irish membership of the Commonwealth Federation.

To support the retention of the Pound Sterling as the currency of the United Kingdom.

To strengthen the political, cultural and economic ties between existing members of the Commonwealth.

To counter the influence of violent and anti-democratic elements within both communities on the island.

METHODS

To reorganise unionist associations across the 32 counties of Ireland.

To negotiate with the political parties and with the governments in London and Dublin on all matters relevant to our objectives and in the interests of our members.

To articulate our understanding of Irish events world-wide, and particularly in Washington, DC.

To engage in strategic alliances with those who share some of our objectives.

KEY PLEDGES

To respond within one week to all communications we receive.

To keep our members informed of all our activities.

To publish a newsletter at regular intervals.

Feedback

Whether you agree or disagree with what you have to say, we'd like to hear your opinion.

Our discussion forum is up and running, so come and join the debate. Click here to see the discussion.