Irish unity can restore Northern Ireland's position in the EU

well we're having an event on the same day as uh the European elections are happening right across the European continent and another part of this island and I suppose we're making the point that we have been dragged out of the European Union against our will and we would like to get back there as soon as possible we have a we have a prescription for that which is uh in the long term uh to get back to to build a new Ireland where we're part of the European Union because of course the European Union was seen uh through John hum's Vision as the the format for for the peace process and for reconciling the people of this community and it has been a real tragedy and travesty that we've been uh dragged out of it but we hope that uh a new labor government will bring us closer to Europe but we're very aware that the best way to get properly back into the European Union get all those benefits is uh by developing and creating a new Ireland over time I'm talking about more than just that I'm talking about a United Ireland obviously but I'm talking about a reconcil Ireland where every uh form of opinion is properly respected and involved um but the process of building that having that conversation is a process of reconciliation as far as we're concerned it's about setting out a plan for having a better economic outcomes for lifting people out of poverty for having a Health Service that actually works you there's people in my constituency that have to go to the credit union actually to borrow money so that they can fund their own healthare this place is in very bad State and we think there's a better way well to be honest this isn't an election issue for us what we're talking about is the the long term the medium term that we can't let today pass where we know that uh electors all across Europe are electing European Parliament and our voice is not going to be heard in there without talking about the context of all of that and we know that yes I think the the the a new hopefully labor government will bring us closer to Europe but we also know that there's no British government that will actually bring bring us as close to Europe as being part of Europe being part of the European Union and that inevitably means um building towards a new irand that's a long-term conversation but it's one we should have it's one that we're having through our Newland commission we're talking to people from every single Community is it a an an election issue probably not um but it doesn't mean just because we have immediate priorities that we can't also have a vision for the future okay

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