Dilution of Unionistcommunity’s Britishidentity is no go: MP

Hardline DUP MP Gregory Campbell believes no agreement on flags, parades or the past will be possible if proposals emerge from the Haass talks that the Unionist community perceives as diluting its ‘Britishness.’
By Kevin Mullan
Published 23rd Dec 2013, 18:15 BST
Meghan O'Sullivan and Dr Haass pictured taking a break from the meeting at the Stormont Hotel.Meghan O'Sullivan and Dr Haass pictured taking a break from the meeting at the Stormont Hotel.
Meghan O'Sullivan and Dr Haass pictured taking a break from the meeting at the Stormont Hotel.

The East Londonderry MP raised the matter in the House of Commons. He asked Prime Minister David Cameron: “Does the Prime Minister understand, even if Dr Richard Haass does not, that agreement and consensus in his talks are desirable but will be impossible to achieve if proposals re-emerge that are viewed in the Unionist community as diluting our very essence of Britishness as Northern Ireland seeks to strengthen its position within the United Kingdom, not weaken it?”

Mr Cameron replied that Dr Haass was carrying out “a very important and extremely difficult task: looking into the issues of parades, of flags and, of course, the past.”

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He added: “I have met with Richard Haass, and I think he is an incredibly impressive individual.

Meghan O'Sullivan and Dr Haass pictured taking a break from the meeting at the Stormont Hotel.Meghan O'Sullivan and Dr Haass pictured taking a break from the meeting at the Stormont Hotel.
Meghan O'Sullivan and Dr Haass pictured taking a break from the meeting at the Stormont Hotel.

“We should let him do his work and we should judge his work on the results he produces, but I hope that everyone will try to look at this process with some give and take to try and bring the communities together.”

The Haass talks remained deadlocked on Monday (December 23).

Related topics:David CameronGregory CampbellDUPNorthern Ireland