Sir: Peregrine Worsthorne insults the thou- sands of Ulster Catholics
who want North- ern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom in perpetuity by equating Protes- tantism with Ulster Unionism — or rather what he refers to bizarrely as 'Protestant Irish Nationalism'.
Protestants have not felt any distinct or separate sense of Irish nationalism since the 18th century. What binds them togeth- er, and unites them with so many Catholics, is a profound common loyalty to the institu- tions of our country.
My late father, John Biggs-Davison, devoted a great deal of time to exploding the myths which Peregrine Worsthome has now embraced. Opinion polls in Northern Ireland have never recorded any significant majority of Ulster Catholics in favour of constitutional change. Indeed, some recent polls have recorded only a minority of between 20 and 25 per cent. My father once wrote: 'The Northern Irish Catholic loyal to the Crown and faith- ful to the Union receives little encourage- ment.' Peregrine Worsthorne's ill-informed comments add insult to neglect.
Lisl Biggs-Davison
Friends of the Union, PO Box 1261, London SW3
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