Sir, – Only the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland can call a Border poll (Schedule 1, Belfast Agreement). To make that decision, the Secretary of State requires information on how likely it is that a majority would vote in favour of a united Ireland.
Despite surveys and polls of voting intention, there is an absence of agreed, definitive information. However, there is a way to gather the accurate information needed to guide the Secretary of State. That is to hold a non-binding indicative vote on the subject. Such a vote could take place alongside a Stormont Assembly election (or local or general election). Voters would simply be presented with a separate voting paper containing the two options – remain in the UK or join a united Ireland.
Such a vote should prove less frightening for everyone involved because it is non-binding. If the indicative vote was repeated at regular intervals, it would normalise the idea of asking the question and thereby take some of the heat out of this political issue. The vote would have the added effect of increasing turnout in the election. Higher turnouts are usually considered a good thing in a democracy. The UK parliament made use of just such a system of indicative votes in March 2019 when debating the issue of Brexit.
It might be agreed that if the indicative vote achieves, say, 47 per cent or higher in favour of a united Ireland then the Secretary of State would prepare the ground for a full, binding referendum within two years.
RM Block
There would be a marginal additional cost in printing the voting papers and counting the votes cast, but at least everyone would know precisely where we stood. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN MELAUGH,
Coleraine,
Northern Ireland.
