In the wake of Brexit, the conversation around constitutional change in Ireland has gained a lot of attention, and momentum. In the Irish unification conversation a question that arises occasionally is, should Ireland join the British Commonwealth? The question springs from a sentiment that such a move would be a “good will” gesture to Unionism, one that might make Unionists feel more welcome and comfortable in a new All Island constitutional arrangement.
There is no doubt Nationalism needs to address Unionist concerns in a spirit of generosity. Indeed I would suggest nationalism should go as far as is politically feasible. Some requests made by Unionism may not be deliverable, this is just a political reality. For example, work already done by the ARINS Project (& others) illustrates potential difficulties for nationalism over issues such as changing the Irish Flag or National Anthem. These matters would be hugely problematic for nationalism as they may split the base, and are probably something even a generous nationalism may not be able to deliver. Ireland, as a nation, joining the British Commonwealth may not be politically deliverable either. But there could be another way.
According to the ARINS Project research, maintaining British Citizenship and the NHS are more important to unionists than Ireland joining the Commonwealth. It therefore seems joining the Commonwealth has little political benefit for supporters of Irish unification, yet it carries significant risk.
- What does Unionism say?:
Unionists have not yet actively sought Ireland’s membership in the British Commonwealth, & research indicates it is not a priority for the Unionist community in any United Ireland discussions. British citizenship and NHS are Unionism’s two main issues. - Good Friday Agreement (GFA) Implications:
The terms of the Good Friday Agreement regarding citizenship indicate British citizenship could endure post reunification. This means NI born Unionists could retain their British citizenship and associated rights, regardless of any changes in constitutional arrangements. Consequently, the issue of Ireland’s non membership of the Commonwealth doesn’t effect a Unionist’s British citizenship status. Unionists in Northern Ireland will be in the Commonwealth before, during and after the referendum. Simply put, due to their British Citizenship status and accompanying rights, Unionists never leave the Commonwealth even after Irish unification. This should be recognized and codified into both Irish & British law. I would therefore suggest there is no pressing need for Ireland to join as a nation, a solution can be found by recognizing the citizenship of each individual citizen. Ultimately British citizenship is a matter for the British government, and Irish citizenship is a matter for the Irish government. So the topic would require cooperation from both the British & Irish governments, the appropriate forum where agreement could be found is at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. - Friction within Nationalism:
Joining the Commonwealth of Nations could potentially divide the nationalist voter base in Ireland, as it might become a point of friction between nationalist individuals, groups & political parties. Such division in the base would only serve to weaken and possibly defeat any United Ireland referendum proposal. Nationalism must also be aware that Unionists may, in the future, “ask” for particular concessions as a mere tactic, in full knowledge the request cannot be delivered. The objective of such requests would be to slow the unification process & cause division within the pro unification voter base. Such is the cut & thrust of politics. As previously mentioned, additional Unionist “asks” could be to change the Irish flag or Irish national anthem. Nationalism needs to find an agreed position on these matters. Personally, I feel answers to issues around flags & emblems can be found by using the Devolution unitary model to carry us through the inevitable transition phase leading to the full Integration model. - Importance to Unionists:
Given the potential for division within Irish nationalism, and the lack of significant demand from Unionism, there is no need for the Irish government to elevate this issue to a national debate about joining the Commonwealth. The matter is probably best left to the personal preference of the individual citizen. To achieve this the Irish Government could instead support a Constitutional Amendment recognizing the British Citizenship rights of Unionists within a Unitary State. This would have the added advantage that it would be compliant with the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. - Support for British Citizens in Ireland:
There should be financial & political support for British citizens in Ireland who wish to participate in Commonwealth activities, such as the Commonwealth Games. This support should exist even if Ireland itself is not an official member of the Commonwealth.
If Nationalism wants to win the middle ground & non aligned voters in a reunification referendum, instead of joining the Commonwealth, Irish nationalism would be better served by making amendments to Bunreacht na hEireann (the Irish Constitution). The amendment should recognize in law, the right of those born in NI who hold British Citizenship, to retain that citizenship post unification. This cohort would comprise of those citizens born in NI who have a “British Only” identity (passport) and those who hold both an “Irish & British” identity (passports). The retention of that British citizenship should be enduring, meaning, it is an entitlement inherited by their children & grandchildren. Not only is this the morally correct thing to do, I believe Ireland is also legally obliged to follow this course of action due to articles contained in the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. It would have the added benefit of addressing the voting rights issue around Presidential elections and Constitutional Amendments. Currently only Irish citizens can vote for the office of President and in referendums. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, as experienced in NI, where we build a new Ireland that disenfranchises a cohort of citizens from both Presidential elections and referendums because they only hold British passports. Such a political landscape would appear discriminatory.
In summary, joining the British Commonwealth is not a priority or necessity for Ireland, especially considering its potential for dividing opinion within the Nationalist voter base. Given the considerable pitfalls & minimal upside, nationalism should not consider joining the Commonwealth as a nation. Additionally, nationalism does possess the ability to create the constitutional space, via a constitutional amendment, to recognize & respect the rights of those Unionist citizens living on the island who will remain part of the British Commonwealth.
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