Sinn Féin to ‘intensify’ demand for united Ireland vote following Brexit

[jakeXT]

Source: Irish Times

Sinn Féin has said it will intensify its push for a border poll on a united Ireland following Britain’s decision to exit the European Union.

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the referendum result in favour of Brexit means the “British government has forfeited any mandate to represent the economic or political interests of the people” in the North.

Northern Ireland voted in favour of remaining in the EU, but by a smaller margin than had been anticipated. On a turnout of 63 per cent, 55.8 per cent of people voted to remain in the EU while 44.2 per cent opted to leave. Turnout in nationalist areas was relatively low.

...

Mr McGuinness said the result intensifies the case for a poll on a united Ireland while Declan Kearney, a member of the Stormont Assembly and national chairman of Sinn Féin, said the vote in England overturned “the democratic will of people here in the north of Ireland, republican and unionist, Catholic and Protestant people (who) have voted in favour of Remain”.

Read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-f%C3%A9in-to-intensify-demand-for-united-ireland-vote-following-brexit-1.2697704

[ananda]

1. Wow!

What a mess. If Scotland and Northern Ireland hold their
own referendums, then they could negotiate separately
with the EU and remain.

Geez!

[OnDoutside]

11. This is just typical shameless opportunism from the Shinners, which won't go anywhere. All it will

do is enrich their criminal buddies who are now going to make an even bigger fortune from smuggling/criminality, "for the cause" - more properties for Jarry.

The Unionists won't have it, and when the cost of taking on the basket case that is the North, is explained to those in the Republic of Ireland, it'll get well beaten there too.

[Cooley Hurd]

2. A unified Ireland would not be a bad thing...

GB voters just cut their own throats, IMO.

[davepc]

4. The red hand flag waving Ulster Nationalists might have a thing or two to say about that

Any serious talk of reuniting Ireland is going to bring to the surface a lot of simmering resentments.

[Ilsa]

7. This could get fugly.

The partition was only about 100 years ago. Adults were told by grandparents how violent it was. There are still intense resentments.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. What irony. If the UK actually leaves the EU. . .

. . .Scotland and Ireland may leave the UK.

Sit back and pass the popcorn.

[Cosmocat]

5. Right wing stoked nationalism

absolutely can have unintended consequences.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

8. Northern Ireland will not vote "leave"

But I'm afraid that Scotland will. The majority of the people of Northern Ireland will not vote to secede from the UK.

[Kelvin Mace]

9. Then that leaves NI in the positition of having to establish

a fortified and patrolled border between itself and The Republic in order to control trade and immigration.

That will NOT go over well in either NI or The Republic.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

10. There are ways to control immigration

Punish the companies that hire undocumented workers, instead of building some stupid wall.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. I am not talking about a wall, I am talking about

a patrolled border and a formal check point where traffic is stopped and papers checked. The UK will have to renegotiate all trade and travel agreements with the EU, which means tariffs, entry fees, visa fees, permits, etc. I have family in Enniskillen and they say that nobody is very happy with the vote and the trouble it will cause.

[OnDoutside]

12. If it keeps the Nordies out of the Republic it might not be a bad thing ;)

[Native]

6. The hits keep coming!

and we also have Gibraltar and God knows what else that will pop up. Talk about unintended consequences. Definitely popcorn time!

[treestar]

14. Would this overcome the Protestant Catholic divide?

They were at each other's throats for decades about it, so it would be odd that NI would suddenly not care about being a minority in Ireland. It would be wonderful, but strange. Maybe a union of NI and Scotland would occur.

[OnDoutside]

15. In short, no. The marching season is on and it's still as bitter.

[anigbrowl]

17. No, that goes back centuries

In fact that arguably goes back to pre-Christian times if you regard myths as embellishments of historical events. Historically Ireland was divided into 4 kingdoms, and the one which today makes up Northern Ireland, Ulster, had some serious conflicts with the others.

[liberaltrucker]

16. Haven't we seen this movie before?