Also the main sentiment of the people of Northern Ireland. This political opinion is espoused by a rag-tag group of parties that range from the fairly moderate Ulster Unionist Party, through to the extremely hard core Democratic Unionist Party (think Ian Paisley) through to the political wings of loyalist terroristgroups like the PUP (it stands for Peoples Unionist Party). Like the republicans and nationalists, these people stake their political futures ( and in many cases their lives) on the fact that they are totally comitted to one ideal future for Northern Ireland. In this case they wish it to remain in the United Kingdom with the severance of all constitutional links to the Republic of Ireland.

Like it or not, most of the people in Northern Ireland do agree with them, which is why they seem to do well in elections, and most of their policies ( apart from the fringe parties) seem fairly sensible. Very much like the Nationalist SDLP's. Northern Ireland is to be fair, a silly place ( I live here, I should know!), but despite my own political opinions I think most people here like living in the United Kingdom and bear no particular malice to anyone, even people in the so called other community.

They just tend to get stroppy when they feel like their identity is being attacked. Anyway, please feel free to add to this remarkably incomplete node.