Colum Eastwood has been speaking about the New Ireland Commission reboot that he will be heading up following his departure as SDLP leader in October.
For those who do not remember, the SDLP set up the New Ireland Commission in 2021 to shape and promote the conversation about constitutional change.
It was a welcome development at the time, but even some of the most ardent supporters would concede that it has not progressed to the degree it should have three years on.
However, the purpose of this column is not to lament the missed opportunities of the past, but to highlight opportunities that lie ahead and how this important body can play a pivotal role in not just shaping the conversation on Irish unity but be a leading voice.
The pro-unity campaign faces some important choices in 2025. With Brexit gradually fading into the rearview mirror and no electoral contests on the horizon, there is a danger that this issue will go onto autopilot, with nothing to drive it forward and no impetus to get others to consider it properly.
This is where all of us who are supporters of Irish unification need to be mindful of the challenges ahead and keep the momentum growing.
And that is where a reboot of the New Ireland Commission has the potential to make a meaningful contribution.
Eastwood was right when he told BBC’s Sunday Politics: “I have heard people talking about it that I wouldn’t have heard talking about it before.”
However, the challenge and the opportunity for bodies like the commission is how that is translated into action, particularly for the next Irish government.
Pro-unity advocates have never had better economic figures to make a case for constitutional change. The economy of the Irish Republic is roaring ahead, not just compared to Northern Ireland but also the wider United Kingdom.
Yet, in many quarters, it is easy for some to say that now is not the time to rock the boat and the costs of this project will be too significant.
The New Ireland Commission has to be to the fore in selling the economy of the Irish Republic and rebutting the charge that now is not the time to have this debate.
There is a real opportunity between now and the next set of elections to realign the debates on constitutional change between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
In Northern Ireland, it’s about selling the success of Irish independence so far.
In the Irish Republic, it is about creating a new narrative about the real strengths the north can bring to an all-island entity.
Nobody believes that the SDLP alone can do this, but in the endless debates over the past 20 years that we have had about their relevance, this is an important role for the party.
Showing that the New Ireland movement has a deep bench and that various perspectives are contained within it.
It is now up to Eastwood to decide how far he wants to take this ball and run with it. If this is done right, the contribution it can make will be substantial.
Eastwood is trying to get parties in the Republic turned towards the issue of unification.
This will be a hard ask – as pointed out in the interview, quite often figures talk a lot about Irish unity but move very little when they are in a position to do something about it.
The New Ireland Commission can play a role in helping change this and also encourage opposition parties outside of Sinn Féin to continue developing their approaches on this issue.
The New Ireland Commission and others have this important year ahead of them.
Eastwood said most of the right things on Sunday, but putting that into practice will be the hard part.