Dry Martina

Unionists are called 'Unionists' for one simple reason - they want the Union.  They don't want extra influence in an all-Ireland Dail, the 'dividends' of joining the Southern economy, or the promised panacea of all their ills being provided by government in Dublin.  For Unionists the inclusion of NI within the United Kingdom is what defines, more than anything else, the fundamentals of their identity from which all other cultural particularities stem.  They are not delusional Irishmen who will one day wake up and think 'hey, weren't we stupid for not rushing to the bosom of Dublin rule earlier!'  They are British people who reside within the UK - period!

Therefore the new Provo department of 'Unionist engagement' will be, as Gregory Campbell points out, a failure - not least because it is fronted by a former IRA terrorist (the fact that she has long blonde hair and nail varnish is irrelevant.  She's still an ex-terrorist!!).  Provos might be keen on 'finding out what makes Unionists tick'.  However, they are not prepared to offer the one and only thing that is likely to make the vast bulk of the Unionist population engage with them - the guarantee of working in a Northern Ireland firmly within the UK.  Not only do the Provos actively pursue the constitutional destruction of the Province, they also frequently vomit up hagiographic orations of terrorists who killed innocent people in pursuit of that objective. So take your 'engagement', Martina 'I used to like bombing furniture stores, but I'm better now' Anderson, and shove it where the sun don't shine!!