Before the DUP’s annual conference, Mr. Robinson spoke with News and refuted the idea that he was ignoring the problem.
His remarks coincided with predictions made by former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that both Scottish independence and Irish unification would occur.
However, Mr. Robinson claims that many have misinterpreted Sinn Fein’s election success—which has seen them rise to the top of the political hierarchy in both Stormont and Westminster—as proof of a fundamental shift.
He asserted that although the majority of nationalists now support Sinn Fein, the overall number of nationalist party voters has not changed since 1998.
“There is a chance to re-set the narrative, because it is incorrect to conclude that there is,” he stated.
The MP for East Belfast encouraged the Labour administration to acknowledge the sensitivities in Northern Ireland “as previous Labour governments did.”
“There’s a feeling that this place needs to be carefully nurtured,” he remarked.
There is a steep learning curve for this government because there are subtleties that, to the uninformed, may seem strange, but if you get them wrong, things can go awry.
