Ireland was partitioned by Britain in 1926 against the wishes of the majority of people in the country. Partition, as Irish socialist James Connolly predicted, led to " a carnival of reaction" on both sides of the border.
For example the whole of Ireland is much less secularised than England, Scotland or Wales. In Eire the Catholic Church is very powerful, while in the North the Protestant churches have a big influence on the establishment. They combine together to oppose progressive measures on issues such as abortion and lesbian and gay rights.
We think there can be no solution, no peace and no justice in any part of Ireland while the border remains in place.
Many people in Britain today - including many who are socialists - think that the Good Friday agreement in Ireland is a good thing. After all, it has ended the killing.
It is true that the toll of death and violence has somewhat abated - though much continues, going largely unreported in the mainstream press. But we don’t agree that the Good Friday deal offers any long-term solutions to the political problems in the six counties.
We don’t think it was any accident that the international speculator, George Soros gave tens of thousands of pounds to the campaign for a yes vote on the agreement. Other major capitalist firms also made hefty contributions - essentially because the Belfast agreement is an imperialist settlement designed to strengthen partition, sectarianism and the division of the working class in Ireland.
That does not mean that we are calling for a return to the armed struggle - a policy unfortunately upheld by most of those in Ireland who oppose the Good Friday agreement, with the exception of our own comrades from Socialist Democracy and a small number of others. We never thought that the battle for Irish freedom and socialism could be won in this way, and it certainly can’t be now.
As socialists in Britain, which has had a colonial relationship with Ireland for more than 600 years, our first responsibility is to demand British withdrawal from Ireland - political, military and economic.
We want the disbandment of the RUC - a thoroughly sectarian and repressive instrument which cannot be reformed - and certainly do not see the half hearted measures proposed by Mandelson, Patten and the rest (whose main concern is to keep the Unionists onside) as an answer.
That is why we say that opposition to the unionist veto has to be at the centre of any progressive approach to Ireland.