Brexit: Councillor Browne calls for border poll

Councillor Martin Browne of Sinn Féin Tipperary has called for a border poll following the result of the Brexit referendum, saying that the United Kingdom is no longer united and that the popular vote in Ulster to remain shows the rift between the 6 counties and England.

Cllr Browne said: “The result comes as a shock to many, and there will be some time before the implications are fully understood. But what is clear is that the United Kingdom is no longer united, and that vast swathes of that state voted to remain within the EU. Among those are Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

“After 56% voted to remain, the 6 counties of Northern Ireland will suffer disproportionately as a result of this vote. Unlike other parts of the UK the 6 counties share a land border with what is now a politically separate state. The impact on their economy is inevitable, but that will impact the island as a whole.”

“Considering how small this island is, and the burden on the people of supporting two parliaments and all that goes with that, it makes no sense to now re-establish the border as the border between the EU and the UK.”

“The result of 56% voting to remain, compared to 52% of the UK as a whole voting to leave, shows there is significant dissatisfaction in the 6 counties with the direction of the UK. We owe it to ourselves and to common sense to now examine the viability of the border.”

“A border poll is the logical response at this point, to give the peoples of the 6 counties the opportunity to join with the 26 counties who share common geography, environment, and the one island with them.”