Ulster and Westminster
Sir: In your article ' Ireland, can there be peace? (December 2) you argue that " . . control of Ulster must remain for a considerable time being in Whitehall."
You fail, however, to mention the inevitable corollary of such a policy, namely that Northern Ireland must enjoy full representation at Westminster. If representation was along the Welsh or Scottish model this would mean about twenty-five Northern Ireland MPs, the great bulk of whom would be of unionist persuasion.
It would be quite unjust and wholly unacceptable to impose upon Northern Ireland a constitution which effectively denies to the majority any real power within Northern Ireland while maintaining what are effectively gerrymandered constituencies at Westminster.
It is of course correct to argue that Westminster must produce the "final " constitutional settlement; both common sense and democratic principle demand that the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland be the determining factor. Clearly any settlement which does not have the support of a majority will be inherently unstable as a result. This would seem to rule out any possibility of further concessions towards the myth of Irish unity.
P. T. Mangnall Wimbledon, London SW19
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