Has the time come to hold a referendum on Irish unity? The best way for the UK to leave the EU would be via a Canada-style free trade agreement, an option that was offered by the EU last year. But as things stand, the 1.8 million population of Northern Ireland is preventing the rest of the UK from leaving on the most favourable terms for both the UK and the EU27. More precisely, the section of the population represented by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is blocking this mutually beneficial agreement.
The Belfast Agreement of 1998 represented a major change in strategy for the British government. It created a pathway to Irish unity. The Republic amended its constitution to recognise that Northern Ireland would remain part of the UK as long as the majority in Northern Ireland wished to do so, and the British Government agreed that if the majority in Northern Ireland wanted to become part of the Republic, it would help them.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in