Another vote could sort this
ONE way for the Brexit ‘mad riddle’ (copyright Danny Dyer) to be sorted out is indeed through a second referendum – however not one staged in England.
Not Scotland or Wales either but Northern Ireland with the question asked being should it remain in the UK or become part of a united Ireland.
I suspect if it happened a united Ireland would be the result which would resolve the backstop question that has caused such problems for this country leaving the EU.
At present there is an invisible border between the North and the Republic of Ireland because both are still in the EU and part of the single market. If and when the UK leaves the single market as Brexiters want, by international law this border has to become visible. There is no way around it.
By coincidence in 1973, the year Edward Heath took the UK into Europe, just such a referendum was held in Northern Ireland. However, it was boycotted by nationalists and resulted in a conclusive 98.9% vote to remain in the UK.
That was when ‘the Troubles’ were at their height and nobody could envisage a time when Catholics and Protestant communities could live in anything other than a state of perpetual enmity. The thought of Protestants in the North even contemplating becoming part of the Catholic dominated Republic was unthinkable.
Times change. Who would have thought that the Reverend Ian Paisley and IRA chief Martin Mcguinness would not only sit side by side in a power sharing executive in Northern Ireland, but become firm friends too. But that is what happened after the Good Friday Agreement.
While the sectarian tribalism still exists it is confined to an ever diminishing minority. Thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, both geographical and religious borders and barriers have broken down.
The grip of the Roman Catholic church on the people of the Republic of Ireland which had been such a source of concern for Protestants has in recent years loosened to an amazing degree, particularly amongst the young.
For example, in 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage through referendum, with yes winning by over 62% of the vote. In 2017, Leo Varadkar, now 40, was elected Taoiseach (Prime Minister), making him the youngest and first openly gay leader of Ireland. Then last year the Republic of Ireland voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4% to 33.6%.
My dad’s Irish and a Roman Catholic so I know how a big a sea change in attitudes this represents.
The EU referendum was heralded by Brexiters as a chance to take control and a statement of loyalty to the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland voted by 55.8% to 44.2% to Remain in the EU.
It showed what the people of Northern Ireland want now is a choice between being part of the EU or the UK, and has nothing to do with being a Protestant or a Catholic.
And frankly post-brexit, if you had a choice, would you prefer to live in a united Ireland or a dis-united Kingdom?