Political Identity – straight back after this break!

Initially I struggled with the title of this blog – just plain old Politics or as it is now reads, or come up with something more akin to Populism, which seems to have had such an ‘airing’ in recent times. I guess in some ways it straddles all three, but primarily is an attempt to elaborate on the connection between politics, political identity and populism, i.e., how it manifests itself but probably more importantly, how it is deliberately nurtured but also how it exploits various societal weaknesses; and in doing so how it ultimately contributes to an individual’s identity.

I was born and raised in Northern Ireland and have raised my children here, and if ever there was one place where politics and identity are ‘bosom buddies’ it’s here. As the peace process took hold in the ‘90s and ‘00s, and we slowly emerged from four decades of political violence, albeit with over 800 years of history as the backdrop, it did feel like that in recent times, we were eventually loosening the political straitjackets, shackles and shiteyness!

From time to time, we are of course reminded that there are those who are still ‘at war’ (with Britain in particular) but a peace (of a certain kind) has come to be the norm rather than the exception. The danger of course is if we start to take it for granted.

However, recent generations including my own children and those who are now in the adolescent phase have become accustomed to a relatively peaceful existence and can’t possibly imagine how it was for their parents and grandparents, and many tend to view the conflict as something that was our problem and that they shouldn’t be lumbered with it.

And they’re right in many ways. When I was growing up, there were effectively two choices as regards identity – British or Irish. To be even Northern Irish was a bit of a betrayal in many respects, at least in the circles that I moved in, because for many, recognition of the state of Northern Ireland was a non-starter. Thus being Northern Irish as a third option, in order to avoid being ‘boxed-in’ or because you felt neither quite Irish nor quite British, simply wasn’t on the agenda. The thing with all political identities is that they do evolve in time, although of course, there are always remnants of a particular sort left over, and others make a ‘come-back.’

The 2011 census in Northern Ireland revealed that 20% considered themselves as Northern Irish. This was extraordinary in many respects but has been echoed in various recent elections, at local, national and European level, as parties ‘in the middle’ have benefitted from a move away from the traditional ‘top two’ which reflect strictly Irish/Nationalist/Republican and British/Unionist/Loyalist sentiment.

There is a growing sense that it is ok not to be in either ‘camp’, that with Northern Ireland approaching it’s ‘100th birthday’ it’s here to stay and thus it’s ok to support the state and also that there is a sense of ‘Northern Irishness’ in which separates Northern Ireland from the rest of Ireland and Britain. This might be different in 10, 20, 30 or 40 years’ time – perhaps there will be some sort of a ‘united’ or ‘agreed’ Ireland by then, or some sort of semi-autonomous state which I suspect will ‘arise’ at some point, but for now, the presumption is that Northern Ireland will be around for a while yet.

Whist the US and Britain have become more polarised along Democratic and Republican lines, and Pro- & Anti-Leave allegiances respectively, and other countries seem to be suffering a similar fate, along conservative and liberal lines, Northern Ireland, ironically, for so long the outlier, seems to be bucking the trend.

A whole generation of young people now growing up, haven’t chosen to forget their heritage, but equally, don’t want to be hamstrung by it either. For many, issues of career, family, aspiration and opportunity takes precedence over an 800-year-old conflict that was the preserve of their parents, grandparents and ancestry.

As we struggle collectively to locate ourselves in accordance with our beliefs in an era where we seem to be breathing or rather drowning in an ‘either/or’ atmosphere, we are continuously forced to reconcile ourselves with the many dilemmas foisted upon us from our TV sets, newspapers, mobile phones, and tablets et al.

We are collective witness to the dirty realties and uncomfortable truths that go on around us, but all too often we choose not to face up to these and simplify major issues as trivial, e.g., migration – we can’t afford to let them all in-where are they going to fit-you have to look after your own first, kind of thing.

In order for us to heal political divisions, it is incumbent upon all of us to try to understand the narrative of ‘the other side’ or ‘the others’ for that matter. It’s also important we host an honest appraisal of our identities which are often nurtured more in the narrative of defeat than in victory and leave us with unresolved issues stretching back generations or instilled in torch bearers for generations to come.

There is a need to understand how political movements, parties and bodies manipulate ‘their story’ by exploiting their sense of ‘loss.’ Be that a loss never directly experienced, e.g., the craving for the return of the British Empire among a group of flag-waving seventeen year olds; or that which genuinely manifests itself in the closure of local industries. It can also the removal/reduction of educational institutions in certain areas and the longer-term career opportunities that go with it, or the inevitable poverty that follows policy decisions, driven by simplistic financial equations and invisible market forces.

The narrative that follows this is the demonization and scapegoating of the ‘others’ who are held responsible for decisions not of their making and the pain of the indigenous community is left to be represented by those who would rarely if ever know what it feels like to live on the poverty line.

Coronavirus has almost given us a welcome break from the toxic and divisive discourse that had come to dominate in recent times, but as we have seen with, for example, Orban in Hungary granting himself ‘Executive Powers’ on a par with Trump, or the British Government ‘fast-tracking’ emergency legislation for a period of two years in the midst of a the current pandemic, what emerges in the shadow of Coronavirus as we begin to navigate a ‘new normal’ will be interesting to observe.

We seem to have had a bit of respite from Political Identity but at some point something else will take the place of ‘lockdown.’ Let’s hope it’s a realignment where our current crisis has given us pause for thought on the types of lives we really want to lead and the nature of the identities we wish to have.