Tony Blair and Sir John Major are set to appear on a platform together in Northern Ireland today to warn that leaving the European Union could “jeopardise” the unity of the UK.
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Former leaders John Major and Tony Blair shared a platform at the Ulster University’s campus in Londonderry to underscore their concern that a decision to leave the 28-nation bloc in the June 23 referendum would shake a fragile peace deal.
“I believe it would be an historic mistake to do anything that has any risk of destabilising the complicated and multi-layered constitutional settlement that underpins stability in Northern Ireland”.
Sir John Major has warned that Brexit could “tear apart the UK” and trigger instability in Northern Ireland.
In a scathing attack on the Leave campaign, Blair said it puts an “ideological fixation” with Brexit ahead of the damage it would cause.
He hit out at this “attempt to scaremonger and unsettle people and destabilise the situation in Northern Ireland” and said the claims made by the two former prime ministers “really devalues their reputation”. Don’t let them take risks with Northern Ireland’s future.
But the comments were criticized by Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, who is campaigning for Brexit.
The former president, who worked with Sir John and Mr Blair on the peace process, added: “Transatlantic co-operation is essential, and that co-operation is strongest when Europe is united”. If we vote leave and change the rules on free movement for non-Irish EU citizens, then if they come to the United Kingdom across our land border without legal clearance to do so, they would not be able to work, or claim benefits, or rent a home, or open a bank account and could ultimately be deported.
Blair told an audience at Ulster University that a vote to leave would result in the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic becoming the frontier between the United Kingdom and the rest of the EU.
“You might have noticed in his interesting contribution today where he accused the current leader of his party of turning it from a party of power to a party of protest, that’s something which I agree with and I think even the shadow leader probably agrees with”.
In 1993, Sir John and Irish prime minister Albert Reynolds delivered the Downing Street Declaration which argued for self-determination on the basis of consent and paved the way for the IRA ceasefires the following year. “I remember just how important demilitarization” on the border was for the peace process.
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If Scotland is granted a referendum on Independence – as a possible prelude to joining the European Union – nationalist political voices in Northern Ireland might argue they should be granted the same, further destabilising the wider political environment. Another €3.5bn is allocated for 2014-2020.
