The “Middle”…dontcha just love it? The fluffy kittens of Norn Iron Political Life.

They have been attacked recently. They are unused to it. I deplore the attacks on the Alliance Party. I also deplore attacks on the DUP, UUP, SDLP and Sinn Féin. People might say they will vote Alliance as a consequence of these attacks. It will make no difference to me. I did not change my voting behaviour as a consequence of the murders of Robert Bradford (UUP), Edgar Graham (UUP), Sheena Campbell (Sinn Féin), Miriam Ryan (IRSP), Paddy Wilson (SDLP). Would anyone really expect me to do that? So why should I do so because someone had their window broken?

Having your window broken or even your party office burned down is ……..as I continue to say……..disgusting. But in itself….having your window broken is not some kinda policy statement by the Alliance Party.

The “Middle” presents itself as some kinda alternative to Nationalism and Unionism. It is….it would claim non-tribal. It is no such thing. There are many decent, wonderful people in the “Middle” but not disproportionately higher than the decent people in Nationalism and Unionism. The moral high ground that some letsgetalongerists occupy is no different from the moral high ground occupied by extreme fundamentalist Catholics and Protestants.

With Nationalism and Unionism, you get exactly what it says on the tin.

With the “Middle” you get……..well whatever they say they are. Effectively it is  a coalition. Strangely all British political parties…those that “letsgetalongerists” tell us we must strive to emulate have their roots in Religion. The Conservative Party as Anglican or “high Church Catholic”. The Lib Dems as non-conformist and Labour in non-conformist and migrant Catholicism.

And the Alliance Party is not much different. Despite a younger, secular element, its roots lie in part in ecumenical based religion. This is of course not only reasonable…it is to be admired…………people witnessing God thru politics. But there is a coalition here. Alliance roots and possibly future is “liberal unionism”….based on Terence O’Neill era belief that unionist outreach (its not a new concept) to Catholics is the better way to ensure the “Union”.

The “Middle” has the effect of creating a block, including many Catholics who are apathetic and/or content with the Norn Iron constitutional status. Its effect is to delay Irish Unity. Therefore from a unionist perspective, Alliance Party is fulfilling a unionist agenda regardless of declaring itself “agnostic”. Simply put, Alliance is a party which is in favour or accepts the status quo.

Unlike Sinn Féin and SDLP, it is not working actively towards Irish Unity.

The “Middle” is the unionist antidote to the Census Results.

The “Middle” and its agenda whether faith-based ecumenism or pragmatic “liberal unionism” is not value-free in constitutional terms.