A MAJOR campaign to increase the political clout of the Irish community in Britain, which could help to decide 50 key constituencies in next month’s British elections, will be launched next week.
The campaign, the first of its type, will be launched in the House of Commons by the Federation of Irish Societies (FIS) and will see candidates being asked to pledge support for key concerns of the Irish in Britain.
“It’s the end an era. A generation of politicians from across the main parties who stood up for the Irish in Britain and steered the peace process through its most difficult times will be lost [they are stepping down from the Commons],” said FIS director Jennie McShannon.
“With many more friends of Ireland retiring and others set to lose seats in the general election, it’s all change in the Commons. The Irish community will welcome a new generation. Our message: politicians who will win our hearts will have to learn quickly,” she said.
The UK’s 2001 census reported that there are 641,000 people living in Britain who declare themselves Irish, but Irish community groups have long argued that this is a considerable underestimation.
The effort to draft an “Irish in Britain” general election manifesto will be followed next year by a campaign to encourage as many of those who regard themselves as Irish to declare themselves as such in the 2011 census.
During the election campaign, the FIS intends to publicise a list of 50 “Irish Battlefield Seats” – where the Irish, if encouraged to vote in a more co-ordinated fashion than previously, could “swing the result”. Efforts will also be made to encourage those Irish who have not registered to do so.
Candidates running in constituencies with a major Irish concentration in London, the West Midlands and elsewhere will be asked to attend hustings organised by local community groups.
“The result of the general election will affect every Irish person in Britain. We want to show that the votes of the Irish in Britain cannot be ignored or taken for granted. We need candidates to recognise the contribution [and needs] of our community,” said Ms McShannon.
Irish voters in Britain share the same concerns as others on the economy and employment, but also have specific concerns, such as the Northern Irish peace process.
“The success of the peace process in Northern Ireland has transformed the environment for the participation of the Irish in Britain. I think it is important to see ourselves as a guarantor for its protection and future development,” said Ms McShannon.
Candidates will be told in the invitation to the hustings of the number of first-, second- and third-generation Irish in their constituencies, as well as particular local concerns. A letter circulated to them before voting will inform them, “There is, however, a legacy of worse times that can leave the Irish feeling disengaged with the wider British society. When not hidden in a ‘white’ census category, there is consistent evidence that within the Irish community are some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Britain. The highest rate of cancer and significant levels of mental ill-health make up the statistical profile of Irish health.
“There is also compelling evidence that the Irish feel less comfortable accessing services and do so in small numbers, and that some service providers ‘rationalise away’ Irish need.”
The FIS is a national umbrella organisation of Irish clubs and societies set up in 1973. It is non-sectarian and non-politically aligned and focuses on community care, education, culture and sport.