“This decision to drag us out of the European Union against our democratically expressed wishes, has nothing to do with issues around the European institutions and everything to do with the civil war within the British Tory party”.
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And think of Northern Ireland.
Might there be a “border poll”? Northern Ireland largely voted to stay in the European Union and, as the Irish Times points out, reaps a huge number of economic benefits from its membership, especially for farmers.
The Northern Irish Remain vote had been anticipated, and as expected, support was strongest in border areas and in Belfast.
The 1998 Good Friday Agreement acknowleged that a majority of people in Northern Ireland wanted to remain in the UK, but also recognised that a substantial number of people there, and a majority of the people of the island of Ireland, wanted a united Ireland.
There are also fears of travel restrictions imposed on Irish people visiting and working in Britain as well as Brexit having a drastic effect on our economy.
First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster welcomed the vote to Leave.
There will be a count for each of the 18 parliamentary constituencies, with those separate outcomes added together for an overall Northern Ireland result.
Mr Kenny said: “I want to assure them the Irish Government will also have their interests in our thinking as we approach the forthcoming negotiations”.
Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister has called for a referendum on the reunification of Ireland.
Sturgeon, head of the Scottish National Party, had said that if Scotland voted to stay and the rest of Britain voted to leave it would call for a second independence referendum. Independent reports that there’s speculation making rounds in Northern Ireland that a physical border and passport control checks could be erected between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
He added: “The future for Northern Ireland will be as bright as the future of the United Kingdom is going to be”.
PwC say any assessment of the potential implications needs to reflect the uncertainties created by the vote but in the context that Ireland remains part of the European Union with direct access to the huge market that this presents Irish businesses.
Keeping an open border between Ireland and Britain was a priority, he said. More than 17 million people voted to leave the bloc, but just over 16 million cast their ballot to stay.
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Speaking before the referendum result, Home Secretary Theresa May, who is one of the favorites to succeed David Cameron as PM, said it was “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”.
