BRITAIN’S home secretary has added her voice to warnings about the impact on the Irish border if the Leave campaign is victorious in tomorrow’s referendum.
Posted By: June 22, 2016
John Manley. Irish News (Belfast). Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Theresa May said it was “inconceivable” that a Brexit would not hit trade and disrupt the lives of people close to what would become the EU’s north-west frontier.
Leave supporters, including Secretary of State Theresa Villiers, have argued that movement across the Border should be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
However, leading figures in the Republic, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, have insisted north-south relations would suffer if Britain was to severe ties with Brussels.
During a visit to The North yesterday, the home secretary supported the view that a hardening of the Border was inevitable if the UK left the EU.
“It is inconceivable that a vote for Brexit would not have a negative impact on the north-south border, bringing cost and disruption to trade and to people’s lives,” she said.
“Put simply, Northern Ireland outside the EU could not prevent free movement and continue with an open
north-south border.”
Her comments came as figures revealed that the Stormont executive received almost £100m from the European Union over five years since 2010.
