“Brexit is pushing Ireland closer to UNIFICATION” – Irish politician’s triumphant boast
Posted By: June 23, 2018
RISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING
Distributed by Irish National Caucus
“Ever since the 1920 British Government of Ireland Act —which artificially created a pro-British majority by ripping the Six Counties of Northern Ireland away from the other 26 Counties of Ireland— the British Government and the Unionists/Loyalist/Protestants have defended this gerrymander by claiming the ‘majority wanted it.’ … So, ‘majority rule’ was allegedly the settled British opinion, against which nobody could legitimately argue. It was reasonable, sensible, and fair-minded —everybody had to go along with it because that is how democracy works.
So, now that a Nationalist/Republican/Catholic majority is emerging in Northern Ireland, why is it suddenly irresponsible and undemocratic to acknowledge it, and its implications? Especially given the implications of Brexit for the entire island of Ireland? And, why would this article in the British newspaper Express claim that Irish Senator Mark Daly is being ‘triumphant’ and is ‘inflaming tension’ when he acknowledges the indisputable demographic changes in Northern Ireland. Whatever happened to the British position that ‘majority rule’ is reasonable, sensible, fair-minded and democratic—against which nobody can legitimately argue?”
—Fr. Sean McManus
A LEADING Irish politician has risked inflaming tensions after claiming Northern Ireland could quit the UK over Brexit as he said Theresa May’s negotiations with the EU were isolating voters in the province.
MARK DALY
By James Bickerton . Express. UK. Saturday, June 23, 2018
In a triumphant statement, Mark Daly, a member of a top Irish Parliamentary Committee, said “Brexit and the changing demographics of Northern Ireland” are going to end the province’s UK membership.
He claimed “The history of Irish unification is still to be written” and said both the British and Irish Governments should prepare for a referendum on Irish unity.
He argued the uncertainty as to whether people and goods will still be able to travel freely across the 300 mile Northern Ireland/Ireland border after Brexit was fueling the nationalist sentiment.
While the UK as a whole voted for Brexit on 23 June 2016 Northern Ireland voted “Remain” by 56 percent to 44 percent.
A total of 85 percent of Northern Irish Catholics, who tend to support the unification of Ireland, opposed Brexit.
A 2015 BBC/RTE poll found that 30 percent of Northern Irish residents want to see a united Ireland.
However, since the Brexit vote, this figure has exploded with a recent LucidTalk poll finding support at 42 percent, only slightly below the 45 percent who want to remain part of the UK.
The 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the bloody Northern Ireland conflict, says a referendum on Irish unity should be held if it “appears likely” to get a majority.
Mark Daly has warned Theresa May there could be another Ireland referendum
The Irish Government has already got the EU to agree that if Northern Ireland joins the Republic, it will automatically rejoin the EU, mimicking what happened with East Germany in 1990.
However, Brexiteers appear unfazed by the threat issued by Mr. Daly and are have said leaving the EU is more important than Northern Ireland remaining in the EU.
A polling report by Lord Ashcroft earlier this month said: “If it were not possible both to leave the EU and to keep England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales together in the UK, 63 percent of Leave voters in Great Britain (including 73 percent of Conservatives) said they would choose to leave the EU.27 percent said they would choose to keep the UK together, and one in ten say they didn’t know.”
