UNIONIST unity is back on the agenda. Then again, it never really went away.

What has been debated for more than two decades has returned in the form of a call from Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley for some form of cooperation among the main unionist parties ahead of the next elections.

The end destination for all of this remains open, and the author of this latest pitch is clear that he has no predetermined goal. He is looking for closer cooperation that maximises unionist representation at the various levels of government.

The latest More in Common poll shows why parts of unionism, and the DUP in particular, are pushing for enhanced cooperation.

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Much of the coverage of the poll focused on a surge in support for Sinn Féin, which was indeed noteworthy, but another standout is the relative strength of the leading parties within their respective blocs.

Sinn Féin are taking around 73% of the combined nationalist vote across Northern Ireland, whereas within the pro-union bloc, the DUP are now attracting 43% of the vote.

For so long, we have become conditioned to the DUP taking the majority of the pro-union vote that it is almost........

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